Don't Know Much About . . . .
P O E T R Y ?
Prepare to Learn!
The Grammar of Poetry
by Matt Whitling (Logos School Materials)
Without a doubt Matt's best published work to date, The Grammar of Poetry
is a masterpiece of enjoyable reading and enriching information. This
combination workbook/reference book gives definitions, examples,
exercises, and classic poems that make its table of contents read like a
page from The Superior Person's Book of Words. Simile, Iamb, Trochee,
Hyperbole, Dactyl, Oxymoron, Euphemism, and more! Learn your
TROPES
and appreciate poetic devices like never before.
Beginning with a section on "How to Read Poetry," and "Using a Rhyming
Dictionary," Matt skillfully guides the student on to not only identifying
but actually using, by imitation, a multitude of sophisticated poetry
tech-niques. The chapters are concise and move quickly, but review
exercises have been skillfully integrated with each new lesson, all of
which have been test-taught in Matt's own sixth grade classroom. And if
synecdoche and anapestic tetrameter get a little heavy, just turn the
page for a change of pace; there's some challenging but delightful
riddles at the end of each lesson. Although appropriate for junior high
level children, it is equally as meaningful and enriching for high school
and college age students.
For the scholastically inclined, there's a final exam, which, I dare say,
would challenge any English B.A. out of UCLA! The 30 lessons are
superbly well constructed, imminently doable and truly rich in content.
If you have ever pondered how to teach the the basics of poetry, or just
wanted to learn for yourself, this is without a doubt, the best book
available. I gleaned a great deal from reading it, and even as an adult,
I felt it was expanding my understanding of poetry in a way that will
enrich me for the rest of my life. This powerful contribution to the
growing collection of resources for classical education is truly an
antidote to the mountains of "fluff" in the poetry sections of the
textbook catalogs.
The Grammar of Poetry textbook & anthology (87 pages) price is $20.00.
The lessons are reproducible for use within a classroom or a family.
You'll also need a copy of the Teacher's Edition (54 pages) for $10.00.
So for a total of $30.00 you'll be able to learn and teach just about
everything you've ever wanted to understand (or didn't even know existed)
about poetry.
Note: Some of the riddles included in this book are real stumpers, and
Matt didn't want to make it too easy to find the answer. Desperate for
solutions, I complained, so Matt & Scott graciously agreed to post the
answers on their web site, www.logosschool.com.
Now that should definitely generate some web traffic!