Teach Primary Issue 19.6

do already understand verse. They know that a word given a whole line to itself must be important; they know that a shorter line carries a different weight from a longer one; and that shape affects how you read. We all know these things, whether we’re aware of it or not, because from very early childhood we are told stories, and we tell our own. We know how to pause for effect, we know how to add drama, we know when to slow down and when to speed up, when to be loud and when to be quiet. Lean into light Another way to teach this is to tell a story and ask pupils to write it as you tell it, as best they can. If you put a lot of emphasis on one word, how can they show that in writing? Do they make the word bigger? Do they give it a whole line to itself? Do they repeat it a few times? If you rush through a sentence to build drama, how do they show that? Do they write one long line, so the reader almost runs out of breath reading it? Do they give each word its own line, placing them one underneath the other so the reader is inclined to read quickly?What do their instincts tell them to do? This should be a quick exercise, without too much time to think; it’s all about trusting yourself. A common misunderstanding about verse is that it has to be serious; used only to explore heavy topics. It is poetry and poetry is a serious form, surely? We are often taught serious poems. We all have that infamous last line of Seamus Heaney’s ‘Mid-TermBreak’ imprinted onto our minds, don’t we? But I think a wonderful way to make poetry, and in turn verse, less intimidating, is to introduce young readers to lighter topics. There are many silly and hopeful poems out there, and they are just as important as the heavy, emotional and hidden- meaning-laden poems. All poetry is important; all has its place and its value. But for those who find it difficult, it can be helpful to start with something that brings with it a giggle or a sigh of relief. Who hasn’t read ‘The Orange’ byWendy Cope and found themselves smiling when that final line arrives? It is lovely and uplifting and its use of simple language, shape and style make it so accessible. It is simply about joy, contentment and a very large orange – go and look it up if you don’t know it; I challenge you not to smile. Finding poems and stories like that one, that lean into the light, can help demystify poetry. We’ve all been stuck wondering “OK, but what does it mean ?”. Maybe it would be more helpful to ask what it makes us feel , what we imagine when we read it, how it affects us. Verse is fun. It's about letting go of the rules and trusting your instincts, about doing what feels right, and above all, it is about expression. My final and truest piece of advice is simple: let your students go wild, there is no wrong way to write verse. TP Meg Grehan is the author of five novels in verse. Her latest book, The Brightest Sta r (£8.99, Little Island), is out now. 84 | www.teachwire.net meg-grehan.com “A common misunderstanding about verse is that it has to be serious; used only to explore heavy topics”