Poetry

Lesson Unit

Chances are you studied poetry in school as part of a literature class in a combination of rote memorization and explication. Aside from the fifth-grade haiku, you probably didn't spend a significant amount of time on poetry until high school or even college, and then only for a semester.

In Ancient Greece, children started memorizing poetry before they could even read. Poetry was instrumental not only in teaching reading and writing, and mastery of recitation, grammer and intonation, but also history, and most importantly civic and personal morals. How did the Greeks use poetry to transform rote memorization into complex ideas of cultural and personal values?

The following lessons examine some of the underlying issues that surround this domain of practice. They are posed as examples (cases) of ancient Greek education, practices, and artifacts in the domain of poetry.

By considering these cases and comparing them with our contemporary practices and notions, you should be able to draw useful contrasts and parallels to your own learning and teaching interests and practices.

The ABCs of Poetry	What is poetry? What about it makes it a successful learning tool? And how was it taught and learned in ancient to contemporary Greece?
Poetry as Practice: Homer as Educator	What are some particular poems that were used to teach the young in ancient to contemporary Greece? How were they incorporated into the curriculum and what effect did they have?
Poetry as Artifact: The Odyssey	Here's an early example of many cognitive strategies, all rolled into one. What are some other cases found in the artifacts and settings of ancient to contemporary Greece? How was poetry depicted in the artifacts of other domains such as painting, sculpture, music, drama, physical arts and elementary education?

Kate Hanley is a graduate student in the Educational Communication and Technology Program at NYU. She created the lessons in this unit based on her academic background and interests in Classical Studies.