Quando, como, porquê o recurso à poesia no espaço familiar e escolar?

Abstract

The contact of the human being with poetry begins in the cradle, by the voice of his / her mother, or of a person who substitute for her, and it continues in nursery school, through the activities organized by the educators, but it decreases already in elementary school, and, above all, in intermediate and high school. Rarely read at home and read at school often by curricular imperative, poems arouse distaste, if not aversion, in most teachers and students, even in mother tongue or foreign language courses. At university, particularly in language and literature courses, there are only few curricular units in which poetry has a prominent position, and the number of students who, by free choice, enrol in them is quite small. Family and school are not the only responsible ones for the lack of interest in poetry among younger readers. In fact, there are many literary critics, editors, librarians, and booksellers, who do not care enough for poets, and books of poetry. And so, the lack of interest in poetry increases generation after generation: most children, teenagers, and young adults will, as parents and teachers, transmit to their children, pupils, and students, not interest in, much less passion for, but distaste for, or even fear of poetic texts. Both parents and teachers who dislike reading poetry do mistakenly believe that poetry is a stronghold that is only accessible to gifted writers and to readers, or listeners who have an exceptionally great sensitivity to literature and an unusually privileged cultural background. Hence the importance to demystify poetry, highlighting how each poem opens itself up to any human creature who, at any age and from any economic and sociocultural background, is ready to welcome it without prejudice.