Children's poetry
In the West, as people's conception of childhood changed, children's poetry shifted from being a teaching tool to a form of entertainment.
[1] Another notable work of early children's poetry is John Bunyan's A Book for Boys and Girls, first published in 1686, and later abridged and re-published as Divine Emblems.
[1] Most of the nursery rhymes contained in the Song Book are familiar to modern audiences, and were most likely passed through the oral tradition before being written down.
[5] These 'cautionary tales' follow the pattern of the Divine Songs and Courtesy Books of past centuries- they are short verses about children who do something terrible and face the consequences.
[1] Other stories-in-verse followed, including A Visit From Saint Nicholas (better known as 'Twas the Night before Christmas) and Robert Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
[4] One of the first modern poets to write nonsense verse was Edward Lear - his limericks focus on absurd, whimsical situations, and his later poetry revels in made-up words and ridiculous concepts.
[12]Children's poetry continued to diversify and expand through the twentieth century, adopting new forms and new methods of expression.
[14] Other notable children's poets of the early 20th century include Eleanor Farjeon, Laura E. Richards, and Walter de la Mare.
Richards was described by May Hill Arbuthnot as 'the American Poet Laureate of Nonsense for Children', and started her career writing poetry for St. Nicholas magazine.
Milne was a successful playwright and adult poet, but in 1924 he wrote When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six[1]- two poetry books which are still popular among children to this day.
"[15]Rachel Field became another popular children's poet at this time, with her books The Pointed People and Taxis and Toadstools.
[1] Field wrote about everything from fairies to postmen, rural Maine to New York City, dogs chasing fireflies to profound heartbreak.
While he mostly focused on poetry for adults, Hughes wrote a book of poems called The Dream Keeper specifically for children.
He pioneered the "early reader" picture book, which uses a limited number of words to help children learn to read.
Seuss' jaunty, zany books are a staple of families and classrooms to this day, and have helped many English-speaking children learn to read.
[1] "Issues of war and peace, social injustice and racial prejudice, technology and urban life were addressed in children's poetry for the first time.
[13] Notable authors exhibiting this kind of poetic technique include: Michael Rosen, Allan Ahlberg, and Benjamin Zephaniah all of whom critically influenced the shaping of the modern educational and playground experience for children.
[13] In the United States, Julia Donaldson, Shell Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, are still popular among children.
[20] Sandra Lennox expands on this point with her studies suggesting poetry helps children strengthen their oral and written language skills along with their mental understanding of the world around them.
[21] She also suggests that the rhythmic nature of poetry helps children hoan their vocabulary and word meaning abilities.
[24] They go on to explain that poems instill values and attitudes that direct the child throughout the rest of their lives while remaining in the comfort of their own homes.
[26] A few of the exceptions are Richard Margolis, Paul Janeczko, and Gary Soto who all had their point of view driven by social issues.
