It's something that I feel like writing, instead of writing because I'm being told to: elementary boys' experiences writing and performing poetry

Poetry is one of the most feared and least understood literary genres in our public schools. Boys, in particular, are frequently perceived to be resistant to poetry instruction; a view that often stems from a limited vision of what poetry is and a misread of masculinity. Nevertheless, the study of poetry provides many benefits in the journey to becoming a competent and expressive writer. In this study, the writing practices of 20 fourth- and fifth-grade boys in a low socioeconomic US urban school were investigated as they engaged in the writing and performance of poetry across a 4-week poetic genre study. Audio-recordings of interview responses, video-recordings of poetry performances, drafts of participants' original poems, and other relevant classroom artifacts were analysed using interpretive analytic methods to identify themes in and across data sources. Analyses revealed that it was possible to create an environment in which these elementary-aged boys were willing (and sometimes even eager) to engage with poetry. This engagement with and enjoyment of poetry appeared to originate from several sources. First, through the freedom and choice afforded by poetry, participants were able to give voice to those experiences, thoughts, and feelings that were important to them. Second, through the use of mentor texts and role models of visiting poets, participants appropriated and transformed the voices around them to create poems which arguably incorporated some sophisticated language and literary devices. Third, through poetry performance, participants found a space in which their voices could be heard and valued.