The symmetrical tyger: the issues and tensions of teaching Romantic poetry at A Level

Abstract

Poetry is an expression of creativity through language, which has the power to unlock universal themes that link all of humanity.Historically, the genre has been a neglected area of the curriculum that has suffered becauseof insufficient curriculum time, poor teaching, as well as a deference perpetuated in some circles, which has resulted in the medium being regarded as impenetrable by many pupils and teachers. This researchfocuses on understanding the placeof Romantic poetry within the A-levelcurriculum and consideringstudent’s holistic growth as well as their cerebral development. I explore what poetry experiences students have at A-level,consider the attitude of teachers to Romantic poetry and explore the impact that this has on their students. Working from a constructivist grounded theory perspective, this study considers the attitudes and experiences of a group of year 12 and 13 students in Somerset, England, towards Romantic poetry.

Exploring the priorities, interests and understanding of the sample group of A-level students and their teachers,I ultimately conclude that the foundational experiences that students have of poetry are very important and the attitudes exhibited by their teachers can be very influential.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	English