Analyzing uses of literary language. PTs also need to know how to help students attend to how to attend to uses of literary language in texts.  Rather than adopt a New Critical perspective that the meaning of the language is “in” the text, PTs can help students infer multiple meanings of literary language constituted by how students perform or enact this language, as well as the knowledge and connections they bring to constructing the meanings of language.   All of this encourages students to experience the delight of creative, playful uses of language that leads to learning and construction of alternative perspectives on the world.

    PTs can also help students attend to uses of figurative language, titles, literary styles, double-voicing of discourses, etc. (Pugh, Hicks, & Davis, 1997), attention that requires that they learn to re-read literature and appreciate the fact that literature is difficult and that one rarely interprets complex meanings of a poem on a single reading (Blau, 2003). 

    In methods courses, PTs can share ways of modeling analyses of uses of literary language, as well as develop oral interpretation and writing activities that involve students in creating their own literary texts.  Through engaging in their own poetry performances and writing of stories and poems, PTs develop material for sharing with their students to model performance and creative writing practices. 

Further reading on uses of literary language:

Moon, B. (2001).  Studying poetry: Activities, sources and texts.  Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Somers, A. B.  (1999). Teaching poetry in high school.  Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.