Great American poems to teach to teens*

Most 21st-century teenagers, to say nothing of most people- have little time or interest in poetry. Nevertheless, familiarity with this subject is essential to a well-rounded education. The challenge to today's teachers is to give their adolescent charges verses which will not only hold their attention, but enlighten, and perhaps even interest them. Not an easy task, but not an impossible one. Educators might consider the following ten poems.

"Mending Wall" by Robert Frost
Arguably the greatest American poet who ever lived, Robert Frost (1874-1963) is probably associated most with his "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." But the popularity of this particular poem has unfortunately eclipsed other works, among them "Mending Walls." Lacking the lyrical appeal of the former, "Mending Wall" poses a powerful rhetorical question about isolation. And who could forget the famous last line: "Good fences make good neighbors?"

"Because I Could Not Stop For Death" by Emily Dickinson
In the course of her short, sheltered life, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) produced an impressive amount of poetry, which she generally kept to herself. The literary world is better for her having lived, as her "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" attests. Dickinson's casual, almost cavalier approach to a grim topic makes the poem all the more powerful, while the meter and the rhyme scheme make for easy memorization.

"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Psychiatrists sometimes employ a technique known as free association, in which the doctor will say certain words and the patient will respond with the first word or phrase that comes to mind. Upon hearing the name of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), most people would probably answer "The Raven." A bit long to memorize in its entirety, "The Raven" still remains a catchy, creeping classic by the master of the macabre.

"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes

A major figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, poet and playwright Langston Hughes (1902-1967) wrote incisive, uncompromising pieces on the plight of African-Americans. "Dream Deferred" inspired a play, as well as the 1961 film, A Raisin in the Sun. The name of the movie is taken from a line in Hughes' poem. 

"Grass" by Carl Sandburg

A poem unadorned by fancy language, Carl Sandburg's (1872-1967) "Grass" is the more potent for its plainness and its brevity. The theme of war and the inevitable public amnesia that eventually supplants tragedy will, sadly, always be relevant. Sandburg accomplishes his goal without being didactic. His references to major battles during the Napoleonic, Civil, and First World wars might even prompt students to learn more about history.  

"Daddy" by Sylvia Plath

The life of Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was tragically cut short by suicide. Her poems reflect the writer's mental anguish. Plath's "Daddy" utilizes subtle allusions and dark, evocative imagery to characterize the poet's relationship with the titular figure, whom she compares first to a Nazi, and then to a vampire. "Daddy" will make an indelible impression on readers, as will the poignant vehemence of the poem's last line: "Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through."

"To the Stone Cutters" by Robinson Jeffers

Robinson Jeffers employs a clever tactic in his poem "To the Stone Cutters," as he first appears to ridicule them, then acknowledges the value of their labor, making an effective analogy between their labor and a poet's labor. The moral, subtly stated, is that despite the inevitable obliteration of all mankind's creations, those creations still serve a valuable function. 

"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman

In the final, touching scene of Dead Poets Society (1989), students of John Keating (Robin Williams) stand atop their desks and proclaim "O Captain! My Captain!" as an impromptu valediction to their fired teacher. A great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman (1819-1892) wrote this poem as a eulogy to the martyred president. The poet's use of maritime metaphors serve the purpose well.

"The Emperor of Ice Cream" by Wallace Stevens

Obviously, not all poetry is meant to be light and frivolous. "The Emperor of Ice Cream" is a little abstruse, but a good teacher will explain the references to the poem's subject: death. " . . . [L]et the boys/Bring flowers in last month's newspapers. . ./" and "If her horny feet protrude. . ." The irony of the title juxtaposed to what the poem is really saying makes for a haunting, poignant piece.

"Musee des Beaux Arts" by W. H. Auden 

While not strictly an ekphrastic poem, W.H. Auden's "Musee des Beaux Arts" uses a famous painting to illustrate the point that apathy is often the response to tragedy. Pieter Brueghel's The Fall of Icarus depicts the death of a young man who flew too close to the sun while trying to escape imprisonment on the isle of Crete, thus melting the wax that held his makeshift wings together. Auden's poem is a threefold lesson: poetry, art, and mythology.

© February 6, 2013 by Allan M. Heller