Last week, I shared 10 Poems for Helping Students Master Inference. In honor of National Poetry Month, here are 10 more poems–this time for helping students master main idea!
Determining main idea is an essential part of understanding an author’s purpose. Because poetry occurs in such a condensed space, poets must use all their tools to emphasize main idea. Check out these 10 poems suggestions!
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9-10 Poems for Teaching Main Idea
With CCSS.ELA.9-10.RL.2 in mind, when choosing poems for my freshmen and sophomores, I look for texts that have clear main ideas and/or themes. These are texts that have explicit and implicit meanings. All of these poems can be found in my 9-10 Main Idea Poetry Bundle.
- “I Have a Time Machine” by Brenda Shaughnessy: Teaching living poets is a great way to engage students and help them understand the relevance of literature. Brenda Shaughnessy’s work resonates because her voice is relatable, earnest, and sometimes funny. This poem exemplifies all of these characteristics. Plus it’s a great poem for analyzing figurative language, point of view, structure, and main idea. Check it out here or the related TedxTalk here.
- “The World is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth: As one of the “fathers” of Romanticism, Wordsworth is a great poet for any English class, especially British literature. Furthermore, the clarity of purpose behind this poem makes it an ideal text for teaching main idea. Check it out here.
- “To the Virgins to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick: While this poem is perfect for seniors about to graduate, it’s actually a poem that lends itself nicely to teaching main idea. Because this is a versatile poem, it also connects well to inference, figurative language, summary, and context clues. Check it out here.
- “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied” by Edna St. Vincent Millay: Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sonnets are some of her best-known works. This poem is no exception! For students, this poem is a a great tool for teaching theme. But it is also a good tool for touching on structure and analyzing point of view. Check it out here.
- “What I Carried” by Maggie Smith: Like Shaughnessy, Maggie Smith is a living poet. As a bonus, Maggie Smith has become one of my favorite poets! This poem also connects nicely to the poems by Herrick, St. Vincent Millay, and Shaughnessy. So this is a good opportunity to practice synthesizing main ideas! Check it out here.
To help with pacing, I’ve put together this free 9-10 Main Idea Poetry Unit Planner.
11-12 Poems for Teaching Main Idea
Since CCSS.ELA.11-12.RL.2 challenges students to analyzing multiple themes and their intersections, I looked for slightly different texts for my juniors and seniors. So at the 11-12 level, I’m looking for texts that have a little more complexity and rigor. Most importantly, these are poems with multiple themes and build off one another. These poems are all included in my 11-12 Main Idea Poetry Bundle.
- “Tula [‘Books are door shaped’]” by Margarita Engle: In The Lightning Dreamer, author Margarita Engle uses verse to tell the story of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, also known as Tula. This poem provides insight into Tula’s childhood and motivations. Even if you never read or teach The Lightning Dreamer (which would be an awesome addition to a world lit class), this poem is perfect for teaching theme. It touches on complex themes about love, the value of literature, and the importance of finding your voice. Check it out here.
- “To Lucasta, Going to the Wars” by Richard Lovelace: This is Lovelace’s most-famous poem. Like Wordsworth’s poetry, it’s a staple in many British literature classes. This is a personal favorite! While it’s a strong poem for teaching main idea, it also touches on historical context, structure, and point of view. Check it out here.
- “A Litany for Survival” by Audre Lorde: This is one of the most powerful poems on this list. Audre Lorde’s tone is explosive! The text explores the intersection of fear, survival, and empowerment. Check it out here.
- “Burning a Book” by William Stafford: This is a poem that just sticks with you. Not only does this poem work well for teaching theme, it also pairs well with Fahrenheit 451, with your unit on censorship, or with Banned Books Month. Check it out here.
- “Ode to Teachers” by Pat Mora: This might see like a self-serving poem to teach in class. But it’s a great text for teaching main idea. It’s also a good poem to use with other teachers when practicing new strategies and techniques. This is a great poem to facilitate conversation with students or as part of professional development. Check it out here.
To help with pacing, I’ve put together a free 11-1 2 Main Idea Poetry Unit Planner.
Bottom Line
Overall, determining and analyzing main idea is an essential skill for students. Helping students figure out and to articulate main idea is a challenge. Finding texts for this skill is tough, so I hope these 10 poems help you meet the needs of your students. You can find all 10 in this 9-12 Main Idea Poetry Bundle. Let me know what other texts help you teach main idea!
Photo by Kyle Tran, Federico Bottos, and Daniele Franchi on Unsplash
