Yolanda U. Trapp
Poetry is the province of children. Through poetry’s rhyme and rhythm, music and magic, imagery and inspiration, children delight in language and acquire it naturally. The affinity children have for poetry and its memorable, language-rich quality give poetry great instructional power. I will select some poems written by Latin Women and together we will discover how easy it is to put the power of poetry to work in our classroom. We are fortunate to be educating children in an age when an ever-increasing number of high-quality poetry is written by Latin Women. Selecting the poems will provide a variety of perspectives for the students, and also can help children to understand the experiences of a cultural group, values and uniqueness common to many cultures. It will allow them to see and appreciate the richness of the increasing diversity within their communities, their nation, and their world.
The gift of Poetry
I have said it many times; I shall say it again and again: Poetry should flow freely in the lives of children: it should come to them as naturally as breathing, for nothing- no thing – can ring and rage throughout hearts and minds as does this genre of literature. (1)
As a classroom teacher, I quickly learned the value of poetry – how it can enhance every area of the curriculum – from mathematics to science. More important, I soon realized that poetry was an effective force with above-average, average, and reluctant readers on every grade level. And, oh what poetry can do to bolster the self-esteem of children!
Every day is a great day for poetry – the kind of great poetry that can be found in many Latin women writers. Poets such as Gabriela Mistral – Alfonsina Storni – Juana de Ibarbourou – Delmira Agustini – Julia de Burgos – Violeta Parra – Adèlia Prado, (and other recent poets I will mention later in this unit), open up a world of feelings to children.
As educators we must lead children into poetry – ignite the spark for them to appreciate it, love it. This is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our students, whether they are pre-schoolers or young adult readers.
There is a place for poetry – every day – everywhere – all the time. For me, any day without a poem is just another day on the calendar. I hope it will be for all of us too, and for the children we nurture. I remember to start writing poems when I was in 2nd grade. Suddenly the words came fluently out. I still keep some I would like to share in this unit. (only as a curiosity of another Latin woman who likes to write on her lonely nights) The reason why I wrote poems was probably to meet my own needs and those of the situation.
