운율과 소리를 통한 영시 교육 방법의 모색

In Search of Methods for Teaching English Poetry through Meter and Sound

This paper attempts to suggest ways in which the instructor can call students’ attention to phonological elements in English poetry and integrate considerations of these elements into discussions of thematic/social/historical issues raised by the text. In English-speaking culture, reading aloud is regarded as one of essential steps to approach poetry. As Korean students usually encounter English poetry in the form of written texts, it is difficult to lead them to take interest in the experience of listening to poetry. Yet, English poetry speaks not only through its content but through its meter and sound as well, and understanding the importance of phonological factors opens a new horizon for students who are learning to interpret poetic texts in English. For example, the iambic meter, which is regarded as the most prevalent form in English poetry, sometimes gives way to a different kind of meter, emphasizing this exceptional part of the text where the poet delivers an important message. At other times, poetic texts intentionally deviate from the iambic meter, and this deviation adds effectively to the textual meaning process. Also, rhymes often show interesting connections with the content of the poem. Rhyming words may reveal where the focus of the poetic text lies, and changes occurring in the rhyming pattern of the poem may expose more fundamental changes in the speaker’s psyche or the poem’s overall meaning. Alliteration and assonance also perform a significant function in understanding English poetry. Through enhancing students’ aural experience of English poetry, the instructor can invite them to appreciate and analyze the text in a more in-depth way.