Strange and Familiar: Diverse Poetic Forms

Lyrical? Prose? Experimental? What’s the difference, if there is any? This lesson explores the different sub-genres that exist within Poetry using a model that leans towards inquiry. It is directly inspired by the expectations found in the Gr. 11 and 12 English curriculum which asks educators and students to explore different forms of genre in reading and writing. This lesson will explore various works by contemporary poets like Liz Howard, Dionne Brand, Brandi Bird, Joshua Whitehead, Anne Carson, and Selina Boan. Through this lesson, students will deepen their understanding of the codes and conventions that define a poem as prose, a poem as lyrical, a poem experimental. It is advised that students have had past experiences with reading and analyzing poetry.