Art vs. Pedagogy

The tension in the poem comes from the divide between what the speaker sees as the experience of poetry and the role of teaching it. In their mind, poetry is an art first and an academic practice second (if at all). However, being in a results-oriented classroom environment puts the teacher in a difficult position, in which they need to fulfill what they see as two conflicting roles. The goal of the “Introduction to Poetry” course is to introduce students to poetry and give them an informed basis from which to explore its deeper meanings. This might include an overview of literary devices and historical or cultural context surrounding the poems of study. Yet the speaker feels as though the true objective of their teaching is to show students how to truly live in a poem, or indeed in any work of art. The...