Literary Adventures for Kids is a website that offers literature- and poetry-related experiences for all ages. One of these is Poetry and a Movie, a high school-level course that examines the work of 10 prominent poets. I took this course during my junior year of high school and greatly enjoyed how it gave a complete picture of the poets’ works and how they have impacted the world. Here, I will give you my Poetry and a Movie review to help you evaluate if this course is right for your students.
A semester (1/2 credit) option is also available.
Poetry and a Movie Module Layout
Poetry and a Movie reviews a different poet’s life and work at the beginning of each module. This assignment usually includes a few videos and some readings. During this assignment, students write trivia questions about the poet for later reference. I appreciated the background information because it helped me gain a more complete understanding and appreciation for the context of the poems I studied. I specifically enjoyed the trivia aspect; creating the questions and having “trivia time” with my family was fun and helped me remember important facts about the poets.
Next, there is an assignment about a literary element (or elements). These start with basics, such as rhyme scheme, and get more advanced throughout the course. In this assignment, students analyze one of the module poet’s poems and look for examples of the device or devices. I felt this improved my knowledge of poetic form and structure. It helped me become a better poetry reader and writer.
Each module also contains a portion where the student tries their hand at writing poetry. The assignments are tailored to the poet students are studying and often employ the literary elements from the module. They include everything from fun nonsense poems to myths to villanelles. As someone who already enjoyed writing poetry, I loved this part of the modules. The challenging prompts helped me develop my writing ability and explore diverse styles.
The modules offer an optional grammar lesson. I completed these and am glad I did. They provided a great review of basic grammar while also introducing more complex concepts.
The Movie
Then comes the part everyone’s been waiting for: the movie. Note that this is not just an excuse to watch a movie and call it schoolwork; the movies are a crucial part of the module. The course provides preliminary information on the movies and their connections to the poetry discussed.
Each movie features the module poet’s work presented in a certain way. The role of poetry varies from influencing the story to being discussed in the movies and more. I enjoyed this because the film interpretations of the poetry gave me an idea of its cultural impact and some of the public perception of it. They also showed me many diverse ways art is adapted to inspire more art.
End-of-Course Project
Poetry and a Movie culminates in a final essay. Before the student starts this, the course provides useful information and advice about writing. I appreciated the info and found that it helped me greatly in my essay. Students choose (from a list) which type of essay they want to write. I chose to write a compare and contrast essay about William Wordsworth and Langston Hughes. I was surprised to find how much the two have in common, in addition to their obvious differences. Writing the paper allowed me to delve even deeper into both poets’ work and the context behind it.
Final Thoughts
Poetry and a Movie provides a comprehensive image of a few poet’s life, inspiration, and work. It displays how their work has been interpreted, adapted, and understood in our culture. It also covers grammar and literary elements and gives students opportunities to develop their own poetry-writing skills. The movies are fun rewards at the end of each module, but they also expand upon the poetry discussions. This course was a fun, engaging, and educational addition to my high school coursework. I would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their level of poetry knowledge.
I hope this Poetry and a Movie review has been informative and that you and your students explore the course further. You can use the link here to read more about the course on their website. Also, be sure to look around the website and see if anything else interests you!
