A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Want to grow a writer? Focus on the joy of language and the celebration of expression! Make those your top priority before worrying about the details of spelling and punctuation.

We’ve got a sure-fire way to rock your linguistic world—the practice of pairing poetry and tea. Promise—it’s a slam dunk. It’s so easy and natural to find joy in language through what I call: Poetry Teatime (so easy, in fact, poetry teatime is often seen as the “gateway drug” to all things Brave Writer)!

Poetry Teatime fosters a pleasurable language-rich environment effortlessly (okay—a little effort: treats, tea, and stacking anthologies on the table). Your kids will be drawn to the festive atmosphere while opening themselves to the magic of poems they read to each other.

By pairing rich experiences with learning, our children make precious connections that they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

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Why Poetry Teatime?

The idea of Poetry Teatime is to elevate the learning experience for your children.

When we imbue an experience with sophistication, a little intention, and some elegance, we immediately associate the context with the subject matter – suddenly, poetry goes from just another school subject to an opportunity for enchantment.

“When you cultivate a language-rich environment, you are creating a lifetime of passion for the word – and that is different than teaching a paragraph.” –Julie Bogart

By pairing rich, contextual experiences with our learning objectives, our children will create precious associations that they carry with them throughout the rest of their lives.

(Some of) Our Favorite Poetry Books

• Read-Aloud Poems for Young People: Readings from the World’s Best Loved Verses by Glorya Hale
• Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy
• Americans’ Favorite Poems: The Favorite Poem Project Anthology
• Otherwise: New & Selected Poems by Jane Kenyon
• You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You by John Ciardi
• Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
• Poemcrazy by Susan Wooldridge (this is actually one of the best books about writing and thinking about poetry)

Would you post a review on iTunes for us please (here’s a handy guide)?
Help a homeschooler like you find more joy in the journey. Thanks!

During the month of April we’re highlighting Poetry Teatime in the Brave Writer Lifestyle, which makes this a fitting time to break out some Emily Dickinson along with the teapot!

On December 10, 1830, Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Although she would write nearly 1,800 poems over the course of her life, very little of her poetry was published during her lifetime and even those that were published were edited to be more “conventional.” Dickinson’s poetry did not become well-known until after her death.

An infamous recluse, Dickinson remained in contact with her friends primarily through letters. She wrote poetry throughout her life, which she kept in tied-up “bundles.” Her sister discovered these bundles after Dickinson’s death and had them published in an altered form. Dickinson’s work would not be published in anything resembling its original form until later.

Dickinson’s distinctive poetic style is notable for its use of short lines, non-standard grammar, and unconventional rhyme schemes. In particular, her poetry utilizes slant rhyme, which happens when the poet chooses words that nearly rhyme but don’t quite. In other words: she was a rule breaker!

Dickinson’s poems represent an opportunity for young readers to see a respected poet playing with language freely. So, boil some tea and enjoy the word play!

A note to parents: Emily Dickinson’s poetry at times deals with some heavy themes, most often surrounding death. We recommend reading the poems yourself before deciding if they are right for your family.

Resources

The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson – In this BrainPOP YouTube video (8 min.), “Tim and Moby examine the life of the celebrated poet and explore one of her groundbreaking poems. ‘A Bird came down the Walk’ [which] illustrates Dickinson’s lyric style, her vivid imagery and figurative language, and her innovative use of slant rhyme.”

Emily – If your kids are too young for her poetry, this beautifully illustrated picture book follows a little girl who lives across the street from Emily Dickinson.

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This month we’re sharing our favorite poems!