For the Good of the Earth and Sun: Teaching Poetry

by Georgia Heard, Lucy Calkins (Adapted by)

For the Good of the Earth and Sun is for teachers at all levels, especially for those teachers who feel anxious about introducing poetry to students. Georgia Heard offers a method of teaching poetry that respects the intelligence of students and teachers and that can build upon their basic originality. She explores poetry from the inside as it a powerful and necessary way of looking at the world, and one of mankind's most durable inventions. Her book provides detailed, organized information so that teachers themselves can begin to enjoy and feel knowledgeable about poetry, and, from there, pass those feelings on to their students. The author's text is supplemented by examples of students' work in original and draft form.

Genres: Poetry, Education, Teaching, School, Nonfiction, Writing, Professional Development

188 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1989

About the author

Georgia Heard is the NCTE 2023 Excellence in Poetry for Children Award Winner which honors an American poet for their aggregate work for children. She is the author of many children’s books including her most recent Welcome to the Wonder House, (co-authored with Rebecca Kai Dotlich), My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness, and Boom! Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two Or More Voices.
She received her M.F.A. in poetry writing from Columbia University. She is a founding member of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in New York City. Currently, she visits schools in the United States and around the world teaching writing and poetry. She is the author of Heart Maps: Helping Students Create and Craft Authentic Writing and a new edition of Awakening the Heart.
-from georgiaheard.com

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a few good take-away ideas from this book:

On pp. 50-51:
I often asked students how their poems made them feel, and I'd receive a small, quick answer -- "Good" or "Fine." But then what?
One question I ask instead is, "Does the poem make your heart beat faster, or not?" Not all poems have to have this effect, but we should feel more than just, "So what?" The Japanese say that after hearing a poem we should feel the "ahness" of poetry; we should feel something. Sometimes I suggest that students measure what they have in their hearts against what's down on the paper; if the two are far apart, there's still work to do. Sometimes they find the "So what?" parts and try to rewrite them with more feeling.

On p. 90
Unfortunately, the two forms most teachers know and teach are haiku and cinquain. The haiku at least is certainly a legitimate form, but there are so many other possibilities. It's like serving the same two foods over and over; eventually students begin to believe this is what all food tastes like.

[Riley Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this in preparation for teaching creative writing to third graders :) this was a very inspiring read and reminded me of how we don't need to overcomplicate the writing process

[Erik Akre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for two reasons.

First, more obviously, it inspires a person to bring poetry into the lives of children. It demonstrates in all kinds of ways that poetry is a language spoken naturally by childhood. Heard makes "teaching poetry" look easy, and this is an encouragement for the reader. The focus throughout the book is on the children and their ideas rather than technical details or rules. In fact, the basic message about the art is that rules are secondary to meaningful expression.

Second, and this is extremely important to point out, For the Good of the Earth and Sun inspires the reader to write his own poetry: to dig poems and poetry deeply. This definitely worked on me. The adult who shares poetry most effectively with children is an adult who has his own relationship with the art form, who lives his own life as a poet.

Maybe that's more than two reasons. So be it. A valuable book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw Georgia Heard in person earlier this year. I had picked up Awakening the Heart and had started to read it before finding out that this was her first book on teaching poetry so I picked up a copy and read it before continuing Awakening.

Heard gives a lot of great ideas on how to introduce poetry to students. She starts with immersion in poetry and then goes into the editing process with suggestions for conferences with the students in writing workshop. She mostly works with free verse but there is a section on forms near the end.

Awakening seems to be more specific but built on the foundation of this book, so I am glad I backtracked and read it. I am hoping to use suggestions from here in my future classroom. There are lots of great student examples of poetry in this books as well.

[Kelly K.]

I had the opportunity to meet GH at a workshop this last summer and I use some of her techniques in my class with 6th graders---wonderfully received(:

[Peg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore anything Georgia writes.....it's all so wonderful & applicable to any grade level or curricula area...

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I purchased this back when I taught a gifted poetry class. I believe I got a few ideas from this, but it's been a long time since I've made any use of it.

The book is replete with student examples.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an older book, but Georgia Heard's philosophy still holds up. I think I need to buy this book.

[Ted Kesler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for teachers about using poetry with children from a great poet and teacher, Georgia Heard.