This book is part of a larger project which is intended to be a response to the need for a text that will help to improve students' confidence in Literatures in English and ultimately in the Examination. Both students and teachers have on occasion complained of the challenges of finding student-friendly materials that can reinforce concepts and improve proficiency in responding to and writing about poetry.
The format of this book has been arrived at based on my experience of teaching literature at the secondary and university levels. There are eighteen lessons of content and critical essays on theme and technique in the work of the five poets being studied on the CAPE Literatures in English syllabus effective 2011. My own experience has taught me that these eighteen lessons are adequate to expose students to the required knowledge of elements of poetry and the skills of critical analysis. Reinforcement activities have been included to strengthen skills and concepts taught. These are by no means comprehensive and I fully expect teachers to generate and use their own materials for this purpose as they have always done. The sequencing of the content in this text represents my subjective opinion on how the skills and knowledge may be best taught so teachers should feel free to deliver this conent in a manner that their professional opinion and class needs dictate. Teachers have always found creative ways to organize rhe sequencing of content and this book should aid in this practice by allowing the flexibility to teach the modules in whichever order is preferred.
If students are able, with the help of this book, to take greater responsibility for their learning and if teachers are inspired to greater levels of confidence in the delivery of skills and knowledge set out in the syllabus, I shall be satisfied that this book has served its intended purpose.
I am appreciative of all suggestions and comments that will improve this text ad I invite both teachers and students to exchange ideas with me by email at harimac@wjamaica.com.
Harold N. McDermott
2013