Why we have to choose “To a Daughter Leaving Home” for teaching.

Why we have to choose “To a Daughter Leaving Home” for teaching.

There are many students that select “To a Daughter Leaving Home” for teaching in our class. Why did that many students choose the poem?  Is there something good reasons? I could find that reason as I saw three essays that was written by students who recommend “To a Daughter Leaving Home”.

In the three students essay, they had specific several reasons. The first reason that we can see is the message means mother’s love toward daughter. Ji Hyun Shin says high school students feel and remind about mother’ love to be gotten from mother (Shin, 2015.09.23)  “As they read the poem, high school students can think about their mother’s love and be thankful for it”. Also, she explains “they can look back on their past of  themselves when they were little, learning how to ride a bike.” (Shin, 2015.09.23). Furthermore, Young Seo Yoon says like that “It is more effective for students to understand mother’s love through this poem than explain much time through reading other person’s story.” (Yoon, 2015.09.29). In case of Min Kyung Kim’s essay, she tells how mother’s love conveys with us as her experience. “ I guess my mom also have been always worried about me just like the writer does in this poem. As a daughter, I could feel mom’s heart to worry and think of daughter, and it made me touched.” (Kim, 2015.09.29). We can agree with choosing this poem as mother’s love toward daughter.

In other way, they also agree that “To a Daughter Leaving Home” consists of easy language and has not so hard metaphors. Yoon says “ the poem consists of easy language such as “When I taught you at eight to ride a bicycle” or “screaming with laughter”. This makes the reader, especially students can read it easily.” and “the poem contains various metaphors in the easy words.” (Yoon, 2015.09.29) on her blog. It means to know behind poem’s meaning easily because it was written easy language and metaphors. It is similar with Kim. She points out “ Several words may be confusing and some expressions may be ambiguous because some metaphors are used in this poem, though it is not that hard to understand and rather the use of metaphors arouse students’ interests.” (Kim, 2015.09.29).  Shin also writes the agreement “First of all, the vocabulary is not overwhelming for high school students. It does not have difficult words, so students can read the poem without having too much stress.” and explains by giving examples “using several metaphorical phrases, it helps students learn concepts about metaphor and actually see lines that are using it. For example, the phrase ‘while you grew smaller, more breakable with distance’ implies the independence of the daughter, ready to be on her own. The last phrase saying ‘the hair flapping behind you like a handkerchief waving goodbye’ also shows mother’s proudness of her daughter.” (Shin, 2015.09.23). These all words show us enough to consent that it has easy language and good metaphors for high school students.

In summary, there are several reasons that they chose this poem. It is the message that is mother’s love toward daughter and easy language and good metaphors. In that reasons, They thought this poem good for high school students and I think many students in our class thought same.    

Reference:

Shin, Ji Hyun (2015.09.23) “Week 5 Homework” [web log post]

Retrieved from http://jihyunshin113.blogspot.com

Yoon, Young Sae (2015.09.29) “untitled” [web log post]

Retrieved from http://yoonyoungseo.blogspot.kr/  

Kim, Min Kyung (2015.09.29) “To a daughter leaving home” [web log post]

Retrieved from http://minsblogforeltclass.blogspot.kr/

A helpful poem for teaching: Fire and Ice

http://spicyapplesandcoffee.blogspot.kr/2012/05/astonishing-fire-and-ice-wallpapers.html

A helpful poem for teaching: Fire and Ice
 

A lot of poems exist in the world and some of them will be put in textbook in high school. Of course, the poems will be elected by many teachers of English education after be considered many aspects of education. Even though there are many poems that pass the process, I recommend one poem for high school class. It is Fire and Ice.

There are many reasons why I recommend this poem. Most Important merit of this poem is contrast. In the poem, there are two elements: Fire and Ice. In poem, first and second line show “Some say the world will be end in fire, some say in ice.” and then, a poet agrees with them who insist on fire and says a reason: “From what I’ve tasted of fire.” However, the writer also consent with people to say ice in next lines. Because he knows enough of hate. It makes contrast. It says world will be destroyed by fire and ice so they are very contrastive powerful things. Also, in both reasons appear very strong contrast as become the reason that each element can make the end of world. This contrast is very useful for teaching contrast of poem to student because this remarkable expression is easy to catch what contrast is.   

Second reason is masssage that poem say. The message is world will be end by fire and ice. Somebody says It is too difficult to teach or to understand in high school. However, my opinion is different. I think they are enough to understand and to think about the message.  Thus, it makes they rethink about the end of world by Ice and fire. Writer says “From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. ”, and “ I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice.” It makes student think ‘what is the desire?’,  ‘Why is it so enough to destroy the world?’ and ‘What means to know enough of hate?’, ‘Why does Ice connect hate?’, ‘How does “Ice” make destruction of world?’, ‘Is it glacial era?’. When they think these questions, they find what writer really want to say and know about real world more.

Last one why I recommend is it is very impressive. It shows the destruction of world officially, so it expresses very strong effect for students. Most of student feels bored in class. It makes students wake up to study as powerful words. Also, it is interesting for everybody because it says end of world. If most people listen the destruction of world, they will think about that. It is helpful for teaching the class.

Consequently, It contains noticeable contrast, considerable message and helpful impressive words for class. It helps for teacher and students to study an English poem. Such as reasons, I recommend Fire and Ice.   

 

 

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