Understanding Poetry
In this class, Junior High and High School students will be introduced to the art of reading poetry. Through reading and discussion of more than 75 classic poems, they will be equipped to recognize the poet's tools, literary devices and many prevalent poetic forms. Most importantly, they will learn to do the hard work of listening to the poet, thinking his thoughts after him, searching out his symbols and images, his devices and diction in order to come to terms with his ideas. Lively discussion using the Socratic Method will follow reading of individual poems which exemplify key ideas introduced in class.
Students come to class having read the poems assigned, some of which will be closely studied in class and some of which will illustrate forms and devices. Additionally, students will read biographical selections of each author as appropriate in order to understand the context of each poem - that is, as an aid to identifying the poetic speaker (or persona) and understanding the poetic language peculiar to an era.
Although no textbooks are required for this course, students and parents may be interested in two books which form the foundation of our approach: An Invitation to Poetry by Jay Parini and The Roar on the Other Side by Suzanne Rhodes.
CenterForLit instructors use the Socratic method to conduct online discussions of classic books. This method involves asking questions that force them to think carefully about their reading, and then to think carefully about their thinking. Using the author's theme as the goal of the discussion, instructors encourage students to understand his message by discussing the structural and stylistic components that make up his story. Next, students are drawn by further questioning to critically examine their own assumptions about the author's theme. As a result, students gain a deeper understanding of the book, and also of themselves as readers and thinkers.
Course Details:
A sample discussion of the CenterForLit Online Academy.
Instructors: Missy and Adam Andrews
Schedule: Monthly 2-hour Socratic discussions are held at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (8:00 AM Pacific) on Tuesdays.
Live webinars: Online meeting software (included in tuition) provides screen sharing and live audio with chat. Students raise hands to participate aloud, chat with instructors, and see instructors via live video.
Conversation boards: Each month, students make regular contributions to a chat-style conversation about the last book discussed. Posts are monitored by course instructors.
Recordings: High quality audio recordings of each class (with discussion notes in PDF format) allow students to participate at their own pace if desired. Students receive an email invitation to join the student database, where they have access to recordings and notes from each discussion.
Grades and Credits (optional): Upon request, discussion students receive regular report cards based on their participation in the conversation board and earn one High School credit in English.
Tuition: $427.50 annually for the discussion-only class, after the “Pelican discount” - 10% off our full price.
Discussion Schedule:
All discussion classes meet one Tuesday per month at 11:00 AM Eastern time (8:00 AM Pacific), except the first class of the year, which meets on Wednesday September 12 at 11:00 AM Eastern (8:00 AM Pacific).
Upon enrollment, you will download a registration packet with complete instructions
for joining each online discussion and participating in the conversation board.
If you would like more information, you can email Principal Megan Andrews at m.andrews@centerforlit.com.
Tuition, Discounts, and Enrollment:
Tuition is $427.50 annually for the discussion-only class after the “Pelican discount” - 10% off our full price.
Early Bird Registration: Students enrolling before June 1, 2024 receive an additional 10% discount on all tuition fees for every course.
Sibling Discount: If you are enrolling more than one student from the same family, our system will automatically apply a sibling discount in addition to any other discounts or coupons. Simply make sure all registrations appear in the same shopping cart. You’ll receive a discount on each registration based on how many students are enrolling. Please note that our sibling discount structure amounts to a 100% tuition waiver for student number four!
Understanding Poetry 2024-2025
Please consider purchasing your books for this course through one of our affiliate programs. CenterForLit earns a small profit from qualifying purchases. We appreciate your support! (See our official disclosure statement.)
We appreciate the responsibility involved in choosing curriculum materials for your students, and we ask you to make this decision carefully. If your plans change and your student must withdraw from a class, CenterForLit can transfer your registration to a different class or to a future term; however, THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATIONS.