Once Preferred, Now Peripheral: Poetry and Pedagogy: The Place of Poetry in the Teaching of English for Years 9, 10 and 11 Students

Fifty years ago poetry was a key element in the English programme in most schools. Today it is marginalised. A cycle of disadvantage is thus set up whereby many students leave school without having encountered literature at its most intense and concentrated. Such students as educators of the next generation will avoid teaching poetry. O'Neill (also known as Sister Leonie of the Sisters of Mercy, Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa) based her methodology on surveys and interviews with students past and present, teachers and teacher-educators in New Zealand schools. Investigation included research of educational journals of the UK, USA, Ireland and Australia. This book also identifies ways in which the teaching of poetry can be made central to the teaching of written, spoken and visual language. A favourite quote: Read me with your ears". Gerard Manley Hopkins."

Even before she went to school, Helen O'Neill (born in Cromwell, New Zealand, of Irish parents) was in love with poetry and drama. With opportunities for studying speech and drama, English, French and Latin, O'Neill became teacher, performer, examiner, adjudicator and writer of speech, drama, oral and written communication subjects. 38 years after completing her BA, she completed BA(Hons) and MA in English, specialising in poetry and drama. Alarmed at the current dumbing down" of poetry in schools O'Neil at age 76 then graduated PhD English in April 2007 publicly proclaiming her belief in the power of poetry on TV One New Zealand."