Author:Keven Ledee (06/01/2020)

Throughout the history, poetry has always been an important part of expression.  Specifically, through poetry, writers can express their feelings, their thoughts, and quite often, complex ideas.  They use rhythm, rhyme, meter, line breaksand all the literary elements that make poetry a unique category of literature. 

For young adults, understanding poetry can literally be life-changing.  Not only is poetry able to increase a student’s literacy overall, it helps to develop a richer, more well-rounded oral and written vocabulary.  Through the use of poetry, students are able to express themselves in way that may, for many, be impossible otherwise.  Students can layer their poems with a multitude of meanings that makes for both a beautiful and rich written piece of literature. 

This writing style is also very important for young adults as careful analysis andscrutiny of the writer’s purpose must be taken into consideration to fully grasp the intended message.  This honed ability to understand multi-layered language will inevitably help students to develop a better sense of communication in the real world when having meaning interactions and conversations with people.  Learning how to communicate effectively on multiple levels is one of the most important skills young adults can learn to be successful in their careers and personal relationships later on. 

As a second language learner, poetry in the target language is an essential tool for truly gaining an understanding of language beyond basic communication.  All languages are rich in with multiple levels of communication and meaning.  However, when a second language learner is able to analyze poetry, they will quickly begin to delve into the richer sub-level of context of their targeted second language.  This ability to understand and communicate on a multi-level contextual level unlocks endless possibilities for young adults to be more successful, well-rounded individuals in their career lives. 

At ISD, we not only teach the principles and theory behind literature such as poetry, but we challenge students to creatively think outside the box and search for creative ways the author has hidden meaning in poetry.  Our students quickly become immersed in this rich world of literature and more often than not, fall in love with the art of poetry.  Only through being comfortable with a second language, and more importantly the freedom to explore that second language in creative ways, can students truly begin to embrace and feel comfortable adapting that second language as their own.