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THE POWER OF THE WORD
Building A Poetry Pedagogy for the Classroom
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yates
Words have proven to be the greatest asset of humanity. Without it, there would have been no evolution in building and progressing civilization. While the “word” has lost its asset value today in a world where it has been sidelined and referenced as an ‘art,” it should not be forgotten that it was through the “word” that humanity came to communicate and build life as we know it.
So why are our children today failing to excel in the Language Arts and are grossly misusing language in ways that are essentially crippling both language skills and linguistic sciences? Perhaps we do not know and hence, the reason that it has become essential to not only create an alternative educational pedagogy to remedy it, but too we must provide our children with greater access to tools they will need to develop an appreciation for the “word” that will equip them to see and relate to the world.
WHAT IS THE WORD?
Words are formulated by Letters or Graphs known as “graphemes,” which are based on etymological Roots. Roots are the source of sound representation which linguists have termed Phonemes. Each “phoneme” is represented by a graph, which in turn are spoken, or in the phrase of Dr. Robert T. Nash, are “enunciated.” This can be referred to phonemic segmentation or letter/sound association. Together they formulate words and syllables, which are both written and spoken. This is what Language is at its core principle.
WHERE IS THE WORD?
As accessible as “words” are to nearly every human being on the planet, it is widely known that most people have a very limited vocabulary or what I’d prefer to call “diction.” Diction consists of a series of words (and perhaps phrases) that are used in either spoken or written dialogue, allowing for two or more people to converse. Without an equitable or comparable diction, the communication process is interrupted, preventing some people from dialoguing. The only remedy for this is to expand one’s vocabulary so that the communication process isn’t interrupted due to a shortage of diction. So where are words?
They are found in Dictionaries. Dictionaries are the product of literally hundreds and hundreds of years of linguists compiling, comparing, and defining the meanings, usage, spelling and enunciation of words found in a given language. However, while this is the primary source where words can be found, a secondary source can be identified as being found in the vocabulary of people. Yes, people. People are walking dictionaries and encyclopedias.
SO, WHAT IS POETRY?
Communication is very broad and covers many different methods and forms. Two of the most notable methods are Prose and Poetry. Although they appear to have opposite procedural rules, they nonetheless are congruent with each other. Prose is considered to be the standard method of written communication, which forms the basis of literature. Prose consists of language rules that deal exclusively with written structure.
Poetry on the other hand, can be called “freestyle” literature. This is because it does not conform to structural rules of written communication. This does not mean that Poetry has no boundaries or that it is too loosely written or spoken to be understood. Yet poetry, as we call it today, however is perhaps the most powerful medium of communication. In earlier times when language was still being formulated, there weren’t enough mechanical rules for writing a given language. Lingually humanity hadn’t advanced far enough yet so as to have produced linguists and lexicographers, whose job it is to study language, define its syntax and morphology, explains its forms and contextual usage and evolution, document all words that form vocabulary as well as preserve it as a science.
So in a sense, our first forms of communication were essentially Poetic. Poetry however should not be construed as those stanzas that form rhyming patterns. While this is a poetic form, it is not its only or even most formidable component. Poetry instead consists of written and spoken communication that are not “prose,” but rather are forms of expression that do not need a regulatory medium in order to convey its intended message. In this sense, Poetry is and can be considered to be the following:
A Rhyming Poem knonw as a Rap
A Narrative
A Sonnet
Free Verse
A Couplet
A Haiku
So how do we benefit today from utilizing Poetry in our educational institutions? The answer is simple. First, we benefit due to having restored an ancient method of communication and instruction that still has the same value now as it did then. It teaches us stronger vocabulary and even syntax, as prose and poetry fight harmoniously to deliver context and meaning in an interpersonal and most often communal engagement through interactive language communication. Poetry inspires research and critical thinking skills. Poetry uplifts in a way in which prose struggles to enlighten. Poetry frees one from structure when structure isn’t essential. Poetry blends well with music and artistic representation through sound, which together are perhaps one of the strongest advocates for the use and implementation of Poetry.
Music is one of the foundations of humanity as it’s the most influential form of communication most in unison with our heart and soul. It is at this point where S.L.A.M or Spoken Lyrics with an Academic Mission is most viable and beneficial. S.L.A.M. cognitively engages students in multiple core competencies including various tactile skills combining direct written thoughts pre and post reading written texts conjoined with instructional and interactive speech through discussion and teaching.
USING THE WORD IN LYRIC
“Lyrically Gifted I keep your Hearts Lifted.”
Todays modern musical culture has not only preserved Poetry in its essence, but it has proven that it’s influence is far greater than the attention we give to it. Rap lyrics have proven so influential in today’s culture that we find it outside of its entertainment space while it has become prevalent in almost all forms of media, marketing and promotion. Rap, or jingles in media advertising, can be described as a style or form of poetry. As poetry is a branch of language and language is the basis and medium of instruction, Rap as a style and art form, too contains academic and didactic validity with a structured and evolving scholarly pedagogy.
A PEDAGOGY
Lyrics can be described as a series of stanzas, most often rhyming or having a metric pattern that is equal is length or meter. In Rap music, lyrics are called “bars.” Each “bar” when spoken together form a sequence of stanzas that fit within a metric pattern. Each series of patterns are known as “16 bars.” Most Rap songs have three series of 16 bars with bridges or breaks in between; this is called a “hook.” This is similar with all forms of “songs” and not confined to Rap music. When it comes to Poetry, the same structure applies since poetry is the sole basis of any and all forms of spoken songs or lyrics. Today’s generation are inheritors of their parent’s royal birth legacy of having been born before or during the rise of Hip Hop. As a didactic community tradition, Rap is interwoven in the daily heart and soul of life, fueling children with inspiration and mental absorption into adulthood that acts as a conduit to their mind and heart. Hence, a natural medium of academic instruction!
In the classroom, using lyrics is a way to engage students in both class curricula and core competencies. Teachers should introduce and summarize subjects and themes with interactive discussion followed by group break out sessions allowing students to write lyrics drawn from the subject materials and the class discussion. Capture key words and thematic points students contribute during discussion and write them on the board. This gives students key terms and themes to draw from combining vocabulary building with reading comprehension through peer discussion and group collaboration in producing a completed written thesis and essay in the form of a classroom oral presentation in rhyme or lyrical deliverance. Parents can also do this at home with any subject topic in helping kids with homework assignments.
(see the author with 2nd and 3rd graders performing the rap song “math, science and history” – link here )
excerpt from chapter 1 and 2 (revised & edited feb 2017 for this article):
SL.A.M. An Alternative Educational Model & Workbook Building Literacy Skills in English Language Arts Through Spoken Word, Lyrics and Hip Hop. 2015 Second Edition. AMEN 4 Youth, LLC. Jackson, Michigan. (available from Amazon <here>)
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