1.3 Course structure
This course begins in Section 2 with a definition of poetry followed by an examination of its purpose and a discussion of what distinguishes good poetry. Section 3 of the course looks at the fundamental features of poems, Section 4 gives examples of different poetic forms and Section 5 discusses the place of poetry in the curriculum. Sections 2, 3 and 5 are followed by questions and practice exercises (called self-tests) so you can check your own understanding. You can do these self-tests at any time.
Sections 6 and 7 of the course present ideas for teaching poetry at the primary and secondary levels respectively.
If there are any terms which you have not met before, there is a glossary which gives brief explanations. The hyperlinks allow you to check quickly some unknown word and then return to your work.
There are also detailed explanations accompanying practice exercises. Hyperlinks will guide you to the exercises and you can return to the main part of each section or to the glossary at any time. Answers to the exercises are included so that you can check your understandings quickly.