Reading Poem

No poem should everbe discussed or"analyzed",until it has been read aloud by someone,teacher or student.Better still,perhaps,is the practice of reading ittwice,once at the

beginning of thediscussion and once at the end,so the sound of the poem is the last thing onehears of it.

All discussions ofpoetry are,in fact,preparations for reading it aloud,and the reading of thepoem is,finally,the most telling"interpretation"of it,suggestingtone,rhythm, and

meaning all atonce.Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice,on records or onfilm,is obviously a special reward.But even those aids to teaching can notreplace

the student andteacher reading it or, best of all,reciting it.

I have come tothink,in fact,that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more importantthan"analyzing"it,if there isn't time for both.I think one of ourgoals as teachers of

English is to havestudents love poetry.Poetry is"a criticism of life","aheightening of life,enjoyment with others".It is"an approach to thetruth of feeling",and it"can save your

life".It alsodeserves a place in the teaching of languages and literature more central thanit presently occupies.

I am not saying thatevery English teacher must teach poetry.Those who don't like it should not beforced to put that dislike on anyone else.But those who do teach poetry

must keep in mind afew things about its essential nature,about its sound as well as its sense,andthey must make room in

the classroom forhearing poetry as well as thinking about it.According to theauthor,one of the purposes of teaching English is getting students______.

A.to criticize life

B.to like poetry

C.to enjoy life

D.to teach poetry