ABSTRACT
Freer poetic forms have helped breathe new life into reading and writing poetry in the classroom. Poets choosing this approach are released from unforgiving patterns of rhythm and rhyme and there is much potential to create meaning, mood and atmosphere. Some freer poems are imaginatively patterned on the page, making interesting use of space and of print size, font type and orientation. Rap is a form of poetry that is freer and more conversational than traditional forms. Conversation poems echoing the rhythm of the human voice also offer a sympathetic form. Harold Monroe’s ‘Overheard on a Saltmarsh’, a haunting conversation poem, has already been mentioned. ‘Conversation’ poems, as the name suggests, are structured around a dialogue, which gives them an everyday flavour. The conversational cadences of some of the poetry appeal to children of all ages and help them to understand that poetry can be about everyday incidents, preoccupations and ideas.
