"Students need poetry!" I thought that this was interesting because I really don't like poetry. We always studied it in high school, but I never really understood it. I think that this chapter is important because teaching poetry is important. I agree that thinking aloud is a great way to help student understand that it's okay not to really get exactly what the author is trying to say. "Not being able to make sense of a poem at first glance does not mean there is anything wrong with you." I think that if we help our students think through each line, it would help them to understand the full meaning of the poetry.
I also think that when teaching poetry we should be explaining not only what the poem means but also the form the poem is in. There are many different kinds of forms and I think it's important for students to understand them as well as practice these different forms on their own. Even if students just take a song they like, they could put it into a different form of poetry and see how the form changes meaning, flow and appearance.
I struggle with poetry too. I liked the quote about there not being anything wrong with you if you can't make sense of it at first glance. I find it easier to figure out a poem if I talk through it aloud. Sometimes for me, I just need to break apart the pieces and I think this is the same for the students. It's like solving a puzzle and fitting the pieces together in your head.
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