Sharma, Saumya
(2018)
'See and Learn': intertextuality in the
teaching of poetry.
Language and Language Teaching, 7 (1).
pp. 42-46.
ISSN 2277-307X
Abstract
Although much research has been done on how
to teach poetry, yet tutors at the school and/or
college level broadly resort to the following
methods: focussing on the meaning of the text,
its inherent theme and symbolism; providing a
general paraphrase for the verses; elaborating
on the figures of speech employed by the poet
and the imagery they evoke; the stanza form
and rhyme scheme; and detailing the
background of the poet and his times. Instructors
are fearful about teaching poetry, which is often
considered an ineffectual exercise (Linaberger,
2004). This is because interest in the reading
and writing of poetry is synonymous with literary
high culture (Benton, 1984),which demands a
niche audience to appreciate and interpret it.
Moreover, although the words "creative art",
"imagination" and "vividness" are associated with
poetry, there seems to be a discrepancy in the
actual practice of its teaching, as the emphasis
is mainly on conveying the meaning of the poem
rather than teaching its appreciation to the
learners. Likewise, owing to its special syntax
and their explanations, the teaching of poetry
can more often than not become a mere
mechanical, meaning-decoding exercise. In my
paper, I will attempt to revive imaginative interest
in poetry teaching by arguing in favour of the
use of visual art in teaching poems, as a
supplementary pedagogical practice to the
already established ones. I will support this
claim through the analysis of Tennysons' poem
"The Lotus Eaters" and the study of a painting
depicting the poem.
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