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How Poetry Can Enhance Education: Fostering Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Empathy in Students

by Ewan Jennings

How Poetry Can Enhance EducationEven if you might be thinking that poetry is not your proverbial cup of tea and you cannot remember a single poem except for the basic nursery rhymes, there are many hidden poetic gems that always fill your life. You may still listen to some music as you drive your car or even enjoy various rap and hip-hop tracks that showcase your personality. After all, it is also a form of poetry that helps to create a special soundtrack for your life. We may not even realize the fact, yet poetry is always all around us and it helps us to learn and become more responsible as it fosters our creativity, critical thinking, and empathy. 

Fostering Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Empathy in Students by Using Poetry 

- Learning to Play With Words. 

Writing a poem is always about being creative since a person may speak of simple things by using specific words and rhyming patterns. It is reason why playing with words will help students to use critical thinking skills and expand their vocabulary as they may use certain words in a sentence for the very first time. Likewise, when you are learning a foreign language and trying to write poetry, such an approach will help you to use poetry to learn more about grammar and the correct structure of an average English (or any other language) sentence. 

- Addressing Social Subjects. 

It’s a known fact that good poetry only happens when a person is inspired. If you are not feeling creative for some reason and do not know where to start, think about all the social issues that are taking place these days. Use your empathy to express yourself, discuss your ideas with a good friend, or approach an expert with your do essays for me message as you explore some subject. You have to choose something that inspires you as it will help you to start as a student or do your work as an educator who wants to make the poetry lessons truly meaningful! 

- Exploring Classic Literature. 

Poetry, especially the classics, helps to enhance the learning process by promoting good values and reminding students about their cultural identity, as empathy helps to analyze things and relate. Poetry also helps to explore the world with a plethora of different cultures and learn about complex social and historical issues that would often be impossible to perceive in prose. It will also inspire students to see the world’s events through the eyes of those individuals who have expressed their concerns, joys, fears, sorrows, and hopes. 

- Artificial Intelligence and Poetry Analysis. 

If you would like to get technical during your Literature lesson and add some technical enhancements, the use of poetry is one of the best solutions to consider. Some students may even explore creative analysis tools like ChatGPT to check their writing skills and evaluate the benefits of artificial intelligence for the analysis of their poetry and creativity. Likewise, using a helpful app like Oxford Pocket dictionary, one can benefit from the word suggestions feature when writing poetry or analyzing an existing piece of literature! 

- Improvement of Analytical Skills and Mental Health Factors. 

Reading poetry alone can help to improve analytical skills as there is always a story being told. Therefore, poetry has a soothing mental health effect that helps to release stress and calm down. It is a reason why poetry is a powerful tool when working with autistic children or learners who require special care and attitude. Poetry often helps to build the bridge between a problem that may be covered in the poem and the solution that is provided in the final line. 

Learning to Write Poetry 

Before you say that you do not know how to come up with poetry and would not even dare to start, just think about things that inspire you and learn about various types of poetry, including free verse poetry where you do not even have to find a rhyme. The most important is to let your heart do the talking the way you can. Just think about the songs or phrases that inspire you and try to write down the list of emotions that instantly come up. For example, choose a subject and write about your thoughts as you create line after line. It's not only a fantastic way to learn things but also an opportunity to improve your sense of a metrical pattern and learn to listen to your heart. 

BIO 

Ewan Jennings loves to compose poetry and get creative as he explores various social projects and innovations in education. As a creative analyst and educator, he believes that poetry can bring freedom and confidence to every learner. Follow Ewan to find inspiration and unfold your creative skills. 



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