Charlotte Mason and Nature Poetry

I just read the article The Teaching of Poetry to Children By Mrs. J. G. Simpson on Ambleside Online about the importance of helping our children to appreciate good poetry even at a young age. What makes good poetry according to Mrs. Simpson? "Poems which put a pleasant thought into your mind or a pleasant picture before your eyes." There is a lot of poetry out there written for children that doesn't necessarily put a pleasant thought or picture in one's mind after reading it. Some may wonder if their children may be unable to appreciate "good" poetry because it is not necessarily the easiest to understand. If we think about poetry as "word paintings," however, it may help us to realize that children can come to understand and appreciate great poetry, just like great art, by continuous exposure and our own enthusiasm.

With that in mind, here are a few nature themed poems that you might want to share with your children:

• The Wood-Mouse by Mary Howitt
• The Sparrow's Nest by Mary Howitt
• The Brook by Alfred Tennyson

So, how can you include these poems in your homeschool? Here is a quote from Charlotte Mason recommending that children copy down favorite verses from their favorite poems. This is something that could easily be done in your nature journal.

"Children should Transcribe favourite Passages.––A certain sense of possession and delight may be added to this exercise if children are allowed to choose for transcription their favourite verse in one poem and another. This is better than to write a favourite poem, an exercise which stales on the little people before it is finished. But a book of their own, made up of their own chosen verses, should give them pleasure."
CM Volume 1 Page 238

Children are also very capable of memorizing verses of poetry. Perhaps your child's favorite verse, which he copied into his nature journal, could be something that he could work on memorizing. Mrs. Simpson brings out that great joy can be found in recalling a line of poetry as you observe something while on a nature walk.

So, what do you think? Do you include poetry in your nature journals? Do you and your children have a favorite poet or poem? Feel free to share it in the comments.