Caroline Kennedy on Learning Poems by Heart
Poems and teaching resources from Kennedy's new anthology.
BY The Editors
When you memorize a poem, it becomes a part of you forever. As Caroline Kennedy explains, “If we learn poems by heart, we will always have their wisdom to draw on, and we gain an understanding that no one can take away.” In Poems to Learn by Heart, Kennedy has chosen more than 100 poems that can speak to all of us.
We’ve collected some the poems from the book below, along with a guide that gives teachers everything they need to present and perform poems with their students and instill in them a lifelong love of poetry.
Guide
Teacher’s Guide to Poems to Learn by Heart [PDF]
Includes activities aligned to Common Core Standards for grades K-3, 4-6, and 7-12.
Selected Poems
Grades K-3
“Don't Worry if your Job is Small” by Anonymous
“Some Words Inside of Words” by Richard Wilbur
Grades 4-6
“Invitation to Love” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
“A Blessing” by James Wright
Grades 7-12
“Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes
“Bilingual/Bilingüe” by Rhina Espaillat
“If—” by Rudyard Kipling
“Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall
The editorial staff of the Poetry Foundation. See the Poetry Foundation staff list and editorial team masthead.