From Homer to Seuss: Teaching in Verse

           Though poetry and verse are largely associated with creativity and imagination, they also have historically been used as rhetorical tools designed to relay lessons and accounts. Poems fulfill diverse roles in our world recounting the ancient battles and dynasties that existed long ago, and fostering the knowledge gained by youth. 

           One form of poetry known as the epic is a lengthy narrative intended to deliver accounts or histories. Despite their great lengths and complexities, ancient epics such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey were traditionally memorized and recited by an orator rather than written and read. One reason for this could surely be the lack of modern technology such as the printing press to aid in the manufacture and spread of writings, but the major purpose for the practice of recitation was the importance placed on remembrance and reliance on one’s own knowledge.

            Among the earliest and most famous examples of epics, Homer’s Iliad  and Odyssey were semi-fictitious accounts of the ancient Trojan War and its proceedings. Informing listeners of the story of Helen of Troy and her abduction by Paris, these epics provided insight into conflicts and warfare that are being referred to by historians and tacticians to this day. The concept of the Trojan Horse method of subterfuge whereby a gift is presented or gesture made with concealed intent of betrayal by the contributor was birthed by these epics. These epics and the insight they provide into ancient conflicts are only known today due to the memorable characteristics of verse and rhyme that allowed them to be taught and cherished for generations.

(BritishMuseum)

In reference to this iconic tale, today a computer virus exists also called the Trojan Horse that succeeds by disguising itself as a trusted program that when executed allows a hacker some form of control over the victim’s system. Additionally, similar tactics of deception were employed in modern time during Pontiac’s Rebellion of 1763 in which British soldiers offered Native Americans blankets secretly infected with smallpox as a friendly gesture. Perhaps as a result of this tactic, the disease spread among Native American populations, escalating to an epidemic that erased a significant portion of their population. These examples illustrate the impact of history’s survival and heeding as fostered by verse.

Able to harbor information and package it in ways beneficial to memory, poetry can also be utilized to teach lessons. Formatting lessons into rhyming, memorable verses, poetry packages facts into iconic and recognizable bunches associated with tunes and rhythms. One specific lesson that I recall learning as a child from poetry is the Bill of Rights. By rhyming the amendment number with its conditions, the information is grouped in such a way that recollection becomes effortless. Additionally, pairing the verse with a tune allows it to be sung and reviewed until becoming engrained in memory.

The right to free speech and religion and press
Are guaranteed by Amendment One
Amendment Number Two says it’s true, that it’s all up to you
If you choose to possess a gun

The government can’t force you to house and feed a soldier
Says Amendment Number Three
Amendment Number Four we adore says without a warrant
Your stuff can’t be searched or seized

Amendment Number Five says the court can’t try you
With evidence they already used
It also says that nobody can make you self-incriminate
You’re allowed to stay silent if you choose.

Amendment Number Six won’t let the criminal clock tick
The rights of the accused continue here, and then
Amendment Number Seven gives you one plus eleven:
A right to a trial by a jury of your peers

If it’s cruel and unusual punishment
It’s ruled out by Amendment Eight
Amendment Number Nine says that other rights are fine
And Ten gives the rest to the states.

(Source: BillofRightsInstitute)

            Deviating from normal methods of teaching that are drier in nature and less interactive, poetry and songs are effective teaching tools as they promote creativity and encourage participation. One man who especially understood this concept was Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss. In his famous catalog of work including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, Seuss makes a point of using colorful and fantastical language and rhymes to cultivate reader’s minds and imaginations. This tactic made reading a practice desirable and enjoyable to children, encouraging them towards a passion for reading and learning.

(TheTJMcCoyBlog)

            In retrospect, poetry’s value extends beyond creativity and expression. Historical accounts and epic sagas unfold and are more easily conferred in verse as demonstrated by Homer’s works that have defied the ages. Lessons and values are more easily memorized and accessed when packaged in rhyme and sound. Poetry and the imagination it inspires also serve as bridges inviting learners to capture the wonders roaming the pages of literature.