Online resources relating to poetry + visual art
* Reading and Writing Poetry about Visual Art (from National Council of Teachers of English) → an article with plenty of clear and helpful examples of discussion questions and ways to spark the imagination of students with poetry and visual art, especially if visiting an art museum with the class.
* Connecting Poetry & Art (Getty) → a variety of lessons, prompts, and videos from the Getty Museum, Los Angeles
* Ekphrastic Poetry Lesson from Smithsonian American Art Museum → a solid lesson with an art observation worksheet
* An Activity to Promote Visual Literacy (from the Smithsonian) → features a good graphic organizer, and list of American art pieces at the end
* Demystifying Poetry using Women's Ekphrasis → A very good Yale National Initiative resource for using ekphrasis in high school, particularly in an AP class (although the ideas can be applied at any level). There is a focus here on women and ekphrasis.
* Historical Perspectives Through Analysis of Art and Poetry → another Yale National Initiative resource. It is written for a third grade classroom, but there are solid ideas on how to direct any class in ekphrasis, with an emphasis on scaffolding and guided practice. Also features information for beginning teachers regarding general teaching strategies.
* The Poet Speaks of Art → an art + poem pairings list (images and texts included) from an Emory University professor
* 14 Ways to Write an Ekphrastic Poem → with descriptions and examples
* 'Picturing America' project of the National Endowment for the Humanities → Home page for resources relating to a project that brought American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide
→ The official Teacher Resource Book for 'Picturing America'
→ More lesson plans relating to 'Picturing America'
→ Poetry Connections to 'Picturing America' → Poets.org was asked to provide a supplement to 'Picturing America.' The column on the left side of this page is a unique list of art and poem pairings.
* Sub-topics in Poetry & Art → A great page from Poets.org full of brief articles on various topics within the realm of American poetry and visual art. The articles feature explanations of the importance of these topics.
Online resources related to poetry
* Glossary of Poetic Terms
* "How to Read a Poem" by Edward Hirsch (from 2007) → excellent introduction to approaching and understanding poetry
* Poetry ideas from Jim Burke → many types of poems and writing prompts
* Twenty-one Questions to Ask Poems (from Perrine's Sound and Sense) → twenty-one questions to ask about a poem in order to more fully understand it
* "Tell the Truth but Tell it Slant" blog post → discusses the common complaint that poetry has 'hidden meanings,' and full of secret codes that need to be cracked. This includes a useful Blake Shelton / country music metaphor.
* Poetry Explication guide, from University of North Carolina's Writing Center → excellent handout for poetry explications
* How to Write a Poetry Explication, from Duke University's Writing Studio → a more open-ended approach / handout for poetry explications
Books relating to poetry + visual art
* Heart to Heart → This high-quality, helpful book divides the poem/visual part pairings into four categories: Stories, Voices, Impressions, Expressions. (Greenberg, Jan, ed. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)
* Imaginary Gardens → Just as compelling as Heart to Heart, this book has a wider range of poetry, featuring classics from Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg, Walt Whitman, and others. (Sullivan, Charles, ed. Imaginary Gardens: American Poetry and Art for Young People. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989.)
* Poets on Paintings: A Bibliography (2010) → An exhaustive list of the many published poems that have been inspired by visual art, both past and present.
* Rainbows are Made → A collection of Sandburg's poetry appropriate for elementary-age children (and beyond), illustrated with engravings by German-American artist Fritz Eichenberg. (Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. Rainbows Are Made: Poems by Carl Sandburg. San Diego: Sandpiper, 1984)
* The Dream Keeper and Other Poems → A new edition of Hughes' inspirational 1932 collection, featuring American illustrator Brian Pinkney's scratchboard art. (Hughes, Langston. The Dream Keeper and Other Poems. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1996)
Books relating to poetry
* Sound and Sense
(Perrine, Laurence, and Thomas R Arp. Perrine’s Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. Fort Worth (TX): Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997)
* Rose, Where Did You Get That Red? → Kenneth Koch's book gives educators plenty of ideas on how to teach great poetry to children, and not just poetry for kids often published in children's literature textbooks. What Koch does is find the 'poetry idea' in a great poem that children can base their own poems on, such as "what would it be like to talk to a magical, majestic creature? What would you say to it? What would you two talk about?" as deriving from William Blake's 'The Tyger,' or 'Make a list of imaginary rivers, including one river per line' deriving from a John Ashbery poem, and many more. Koch's writing style is conversational, astute, and committed to treating students in a way that honors and energizes their talents. Use this book to help bring out your students' actual capabilities to understand and imitate the style and tone of great, complex poetry.
(Koch, Kenneth. Rose, Where Did You Get That Red?: Teaching Great Poetry to Children. New York: Vintage Books, 1990, originally published by Random House, 1973).
* Sleeping on the Wing → In some ways an extension of Kenneth Koch's previous Rose, Where did you Get That Red, this anthology is focused on teaching 20th century poetry at the high school level. There are clear and welcoming discussion questions and connections at the end of each section; the poems and authors chosen for inclusion are surprising and delightful. (Koch, Kenneth, and Kate Farrell. Sleeping on the Wing: An Anthology of Modern Poetry, with Essays on Reading and Writing. New York: Vintage Books, 1982)
* Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing → This comes packaged with four volumes; the poetry volume is especially insightful, and can be found separately for purchase (previously owned) online. (Kennedy, X. J, and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Pearson, 2016)
* Reading and Writing Poetry about Visual Art (from National Council of Teachers of English) → an article with plenty of clear and helpful examples of discussion questions and ways to spark the imagination of students with poetry and visual art, especially if visiting an art museum with the class.
* Connecting Poetry & Art (Getty) → a variety of lessons, prompts, and videos from the Getty Museum, Los Angeles
* Ekphrastic Poetry Lesson from Smithsonian American Art Museum → a solid lesson with an art observation worksheet
* An Activity to Promote Visual Literacy (from the Smithsonian) → features a good graphic organizer, and list of American art pieces at the end
* Demystifying Poetry using Women's Ekphrasis → A very good Yale National Initiative resource for using ekphrasis in high school, particularly in an AP class (although the ideas can be applied at any level). There is a focus here on women and ekphrasis.
* Historical Perspectives Through Analysis of Art and Poetry → another Yale National Initiative resource. It is written for a third grade classroom, but there are solid ideas on how to direct any class in ekphrasis, with an emphasis on scaffolding and guided practice. Also features information for beginning teachers regarding general teaching strategies.
* The Poet Speaks of Art → an art + poem pairings list (images and texts included) from an Emory University professor
* 14 Ways to Write an Ekphrastic Poem → with descriptions and examples
* 'Picturing America' project of the National Endowment for the Humanities → Home page for resources relating to a project that brought American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide
→ The official Teacher Resource Book for 'Picturing America'
→ More lesson plans relating to 'Picturing America'
→ Poetry Connections to 'Picturing America' → Poets.org was asked to provide a supplement to 'Picturing America.' The column on the left side of this page is a unique list of art and poem pairings.
* Sub-topics in Poetry & Art → A great page from Poets.org full of brief articles on various topics within the realm of American poetry and visual art. The articles feature explanations of the importance of these topics.
Online resources related to poetry
* Glossary of Poetic Terms
* "How to Read a Poem" by Edward Hirsch (from 2007) → excellent introduction to approaching and understanding poetry
* Poetry ideas from Jim Burke → many types of poems and writing prompts
* Twenty-one Questions to Ask Poems (from Perrine's Sound and Sense) → twenty-one questions to ask about a poem in order to more fully understand it
* "Tell the Truth but Tell it Slant" blog post → discusses the common complaint that poetry has 'hidden meanings,' and full of secret codes that need to be cracked. This includes a useful Blake Shelton / country music metaphor.
* Poetry Explication guide, from University of North Carolina's Writing Center → excellent handout for poetry explications
* How to Write a Poetry Explication, from Duke University's Writing Studio → a more open-ended approach / handout for poetry explications
Books relating to poetry + visual art
* Heart to Heart → This high-quality, helpful book divides the poem/visual part pairings into four categories: Stories, Voices, Impressions, Expressions. (Greenberg, Jan, ed. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)
* Imaginary Gardens → Just as compelling as Heart to Heart, this book has a wider range of poetry, featuring classics from Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg, Walt Whitman, and others. (Sullivan, Charles, ed. Imaginary Gardens: American Poetry and Art for Young People. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989.)
* Poets on Paintings: A Bibliography (2010) → An exhaustive list of the many published poems that have been inspired by visual art, both past and present.
* Rainbows are Made → A collection of Sandburg's poetry appropriate for elementary-age children (and beyond), illustrated with engravings by German-American artist Fritz Eichenberg. (Hopkins, Lee Bennett, ed. Rainbows Are Made: Poems by Carl Sandburg. San Diego: Sandpiper, 1984)
* The Dream Keeper and Other Poems → A new edition of Hughes' inspirational 1932 collection, featuring American illustrator Brian Pinkney's scratchboard art. (Hughes, Langston. The Dream Keeper and Other Poems. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1996)
Books relating to poetry
* Sound and Sense
(Perrine, Laurence, and Thomas R Arp. Perrine’s Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. Fort Worth (TX): Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997)
* Rose, Where Did You Get That Red? → Kenneth Koch's book gives educators plenty of ideas on how to teach great poetry to children, and not just poetry for kids often published in children's literature textbooks. What Koch does is find the 'poetry idea' in a great poem that children can base their own poems on, such as "what would it be like to talk to a magical, majestic creature? What would you say to it? What would you two talk about?" as deriving from William Blake's 'The Tyger,' or 'Make a list of imaginary rivers, including one river per line' deriving from a John Ashbery poem, and many more. Koch's writing style is conversational, astute, and committed to treating students in a way that honors and energizes their talents. Use this book to help bring out your students' actual capabilities to understand and imitate the style and tone of great, complex poetry.
(Koch, Kenneth. Rose, Where Did You Get That Red?: Teaching Great Poetry to Children. New York: Vintage Books, 1990, originally published by Random House, 1973).
* Sleeping on the Wing → In some ways an extension of Kenneth Koch's previous Rose, Where did you Get That Red, this anthology is focused on teaching 20th century poetry at the high school level. There are clear and welcoming discussion questions and connections at the end of each section; the poems and authors chosen for inclusion are surprising and delightful. (Koch, Kenneth, and Kate Farrell. Sleeping on the Wing: An Anthology of Modern Poetry, with Essays on Reading and Writing. New York: Vintage Books, 1982)
* Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing → This comes packaged with four volumes; the poetry volume is especially insightful, and can be found separately for purchase (previously owned) online. (Kennedy, X. J, and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Pearson, 2016)