Edgar Allen Poe
William Shakespeare
Copyright © GW 2007 Poems
It’s unlikely that you ever sat around the dining room table or in the den with your family discussing poetry, that is unless you have an English professor for a parent which is also rather unlikely. Regardless, poetry is not a mainstream source of entertainment in today’s age and therefore has waned considerably as a family pursuit. What better way to throw the entire family off balance than to find and share a poem with them.
There is a difference between the kind of poem you might read on your own and the kind you would willingly share at the dinner table. Family poems are not the same breed as traditional poems. There are numerous factors to consider. First, will everyone at the table be willing to invest in a conversation about the poem? It needs to be interesting, slightly provocative but not too complicated.
Second, a family poem should be relatively tame. What child willingly listens to his parents read a poem with suggestive themes. The thought probably makes your ears burn, so why would you put your children through the same? While topics such as loss, politics or academics are interesting and get the family talking, some topics can kill conversation quicker than a misplaced insult. Be wary of how your family will react.
There is a difference between the kind of poem you might read on your own and the kind you would willingly share at the dinner table. Family poems are not the same breed as traditional poems. There are numerous factors to consider. First, will everyone at the table be willing to invest in a conversation about the poem? It needs to be interesting, slightly provocative but not too complicated.
Second, a family poem should be relatively tame. What child willingly listens to his parents read a poem with suggestive themes. The thought probably makes your ears burn, so why would you put your children through the same? While topics such as loss, politics or academics are interesting and get the family talking, some topics can kill conversation quicker than a misplaced insult. Be wary of how your family will react.
Family Poem
More Family Poem
What Everyone Should Know About Selecting a Family Poem
Family poems Are Different