Andrew Simmons's Why Teaching Poetry Is So Important

In “Why Teaching Poetry Is So Important”, written by Andrew Simmons, we get a brief in-depth look as to why our high schools should value teaching students poetry in English class. Teaching Poetry offers many benefits to both the students and the teachers and teens often enjoy reading them. Poems, often short and to the point, can be used in many ways in high schools around America. It can be an outlet for struggling students or can be used as a talent for vivid writers. Students who may not be in to what most other teens are can write poetry to help them express their feelings or talk about their daily lives. A few small stanzas often tells a big story and can be interpreted many ways. Learning poetry is important for a handful of reasons such as helping a students’ grammar, benefitting their daily lives, and even providing a gateway for students.

Students tend to spend their time writing lengthy essays for their English class instead of utilizing some of their time enjoying the works of Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, and Maya Angelou. The author, Andrew Simmons, is disappointed by this and states, “This is a shame--not just because poetry is important to teach, but also because poetry is important for the teaching of writing and reading”(Simmons 1). Most high school students read lengthy novels and most are not interesting to the reader. Reading something short, even as short as five lines, can impact a student’s writing and the way they read longer selections. Outside of the learning aspect, doing poetry in schools also offers a benefit to kids