“I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”
I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud – William Wordsworth

Poetry: A rhythmic language which has the power to evoke emotion with just words. This artistic writing style is used by individuals across the world to express feelings and inspire readers.

Thursday 28th September 2017 is National Poetry Day, an opportunity to celebrate this creative writing style and reignite student’s enthusiasm for language and literature. Poetry affords students the freedom to express themselves uniquely in writing, with limited restrictions from curriculum standards or objectives.

The theme for this year’s National Poetry Day is Freedom, which can be interpreted differently by each person. This open-ended topic encourages students to cultivate their own understanding of ‘freedom’, from their knowledge and past experiences, and express it through poetry.

Celebrating National Poetry Day in the classroom can involve various activities including: writing poems, creating posters or displays and listening to poems being read. Quizzes can also be used to review students knowledge of poetry and align this unique day commemorating poetry with curriculum learning.

We have created two simple quizzes you could use in the classroom which will test your students understanding of poetry and inspire them in their poetic writing. Give them a try and let us know what you think.

Poetry Basics

Types of Poetry

Teaching in Texas?

We have also created a quiz based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Grade 8, to help prepare students for the STAAR test. Click here to try it now!

Poetry encourages individualism, creativity and empathy, which can engage students of all ages, abilities and cultures. How have you used poetry in the classroom? Did your school celebrate National Poetry Day? If so, what activities did you use to promote ‘Freedom’? Share your ideas below, we would love to hear from you.

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