In my last blog, Teaching Character Through Poetry, I generally addressed scripture and poems that you could use for discussing and implementing specific character qualities with your children. So, how exactly would you use this poetry for such a purpose? I’ve outlined below some ideas for each of the references from the last blog in hopes of assisting you in applying those previously discussed lesson possibilities. Hope you find it helpful! Please feel free to comment if you have any ideas for using these poems!

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Important Character Concepts and Activities from Psalm 1

1. Sometimes we need to understand what not to do as we develop strong, Biblical character. God often tells us not to do certain things or provides non-examples for us. In this Psalm, He is specific about the company we should not keep: “who does not walk the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

· Character concept: Whom we associate with does have an affect on our behavior and our beliefs. We must be careful about who we choose for friends and who we allow to influence us. Additionally, note the downward spiral of sin illustrated in verse 1 by examining the verbs: “who does not WALK in the counsel of the wicked or STAND in the way of sinners or SIT in the seat of mockers. What a fitting opportunity to teach your children that sin is deceptive and progressive.

· Possible related activity: Brainstorm the qualities that we want to look for in friends such as honesty, sincerity, kindness, etc. and evaluate our current friendships to determine if we’re headed in the right direction. If you have a special friend that encourages you to have strong character, consider writing him or her a thank you note for being such a good friend.

2. Obeying God’s law is not always easy, but it does lend to a healthier character. We can only hope to obey the laws of the Lord if we spend time examining them and committing them to heart. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

· Character concept: Obedience with a right attitude. If we are sullen or disrespectful in our disobedience then we are only obeying externally rather than with our heart.

· Possible related activity: Note 2-3 areas in which you have difficulty with obedience and think about how you could improve these aspects of your character. Pray to seek God’s help, specifically asking for forgiveness and assistance with each area. This could be a written assignment for older children. For younger children, drawing or creating a mini-book might be more effective. Be sure to spend some time referring back to these assignments and praising your children as their character improves.

· Character concept: Consistency…and in this case, it’s referring to God’s Word. Healthy habits help build strong character. Having a quiet time of prayer and meditation on God’s Word daily not only builds consistency in this area, but helps children move on to other healthy habits.

· Possible related activity: Assist your child with developing a quiet time for independent prayer and Bible reading. Remember that modeling consistency is one of the best methods for instilling it in your children.

3. This Psalm tells us that the Lord not only watches over the righteous, but that the blessed man will also prosper. This is not necessarily referring to financial profit, but more importantly, spiritual prosperity.

· Character concept: Righteousness is defined as being morally upright, without sin or not being guilty. We should all long for righteousness as God holds the righteous man in such high esteem.

· Possible related activity: Research Scripture for other examples where righteousness is being discussed.

Psalm 8

¹ O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

² From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

³ When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

⁵ You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶ You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

⁷ all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

⁸ the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Important Character Concepts and Activities from Psalm 8

When we consider the glory of God and all He created, we should be in awe and amazed just as David was when he wrote this poetry! God’s majesty lies before us in all of creation and He never lets us forget His greatness.

· Character concept: Humbleness…which us of could create an animal or put stars in the sky?

· Possible related activity: Take a nature walk and note every possible thing that could only be created by God. Discuss how we should be humbled that a God so awesome not only created us, but loves us above all of the rest of His creation.

· Character concept: God places man “a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” With this glory and honor comes responsibility and stewardship. How do you think God expects us to treat His creation?

· Possible related activity: Make a chart of the many parts of God’s creation from which man benefits. In one column, generally note the creation and then in a second column, specifically list benefits. For example:

Plants medicine, herbs, food

Ocean medicine, food, beauty and leisure

If and If for Girls

These poems are packed with character qualities to which we should ascribe. You could use each as an entire character building unit. I noted character qualities for different sections of the poems that you might consider teaching.

If

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; (steadfastness)
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too; (trustworthiness)
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, (patience)
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, (honesty)
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating, (lovingkindness, compassion)
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise; (humbleness)

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim; (godly focus)
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same; (steadfastness)
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, (honesty)
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools; (not materialistic, hard working, uncomplaining)

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss; (not materialistic)
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”; (persistent)

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch; (humbleness)
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much; (focused on God rather than the world or men)
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run – (not wasteful, not lazy)
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

If For Girls
by J.P. McEvoy

If you can hear the whispering about you,
And never yield to deal in whispers, too; (purity, honesty)
If you can bravely smile when loved ones doubt you,
And never doubt, in turn, what loved ones do; (confidence, encourager)
If you can keep a sweet and gentle spirit
In spite of fame or fortune, rank or place, (humbleness, sincerity)
And though you win your goal or only near it,
Can win with poise and lose with equal grace; (graciousness)

If  you can meet with Unbelief, believing,
And hallow in your heart a simple Creed, (faithful)
If you can meet Deception, undeceiving,
And learn to look to God for all you need; (faithful, dependent on God)
If you can be what girls should be to mothers:
Chums in joy and comrades in distress, (loyal, devoted)
And be unto others as you’d have the others
Be unto you – No more, and yet no less; (Christ-like)

If you can keep within your heart the power
To say that firm, unconquerable “No”; (self-assured, secure)
If you can brave a present shadowed hour,
Rather than yield to build a future woe; (anxious for nothing)
If you can love, yet not let loving master,
But keep yourself within your own self’s clasp, (purity)
And not let dreaming lead you to disaster,
Nor pity’s fascination loose your grasp; (focused on God rather than the world)

If you can lock your heart on confidences,
Nor ever needlessly in turn confide; (loyal, trustworthy)
If you can put behind you all pretenses
Of mock humility or foolish pride: (humbleness)
If you can keep the simple, homely virtue
Of walking right with God – then have no fear (devoted, steadfast)
That anything in all the world can hurt you-
And – which is more – you’ll be a Woman, dear.

Possible related activity: Create a lap book on the various qualities noted in the poem(s). You may want to find Scripture supporting each or even note people who demonstrate these qualities (living, from history or from the Bible) and serve as positive examples.

I hope you find these ideas helpful as you train up your children. At Epi Kardia, we feel that everything we do with our children comes back building godly character and striving to please our Lord and Savior. All academics, athletics, musical abilities and other great gifts from God are worthless without godly character to support them.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

May God bless your efforts with your children in building character that is pleasing to Him!

Beth

With all of the subjects and lessons that we want to teach our children, poetry may seem like an “extra” addition to an already busy schedule. At Epi Kardia, we have a different point of view. Poetry may be used to teach or compliment a variety of lessons. Considering that April is National Poetry Month, it seems like an ideal time to examine how homeschoolers can incorporate poetry in valuable, meaningful ways. Continue reading throughout this month as we discuss poetry for all ages and various subjects!

Character building has become a major buzzword in the homeschool community. For so many of us, our children’s character development takes priority over their academic pursuits because we realize that knowledge without morality is not only wasted, but it can also be dangerous. We live in a world where knowledge often creates evil situations even when the initial purpose was for good. The Internet is an obvious example as a tool for so many productive and healthy ideas, such as with this blog, but with a simple search, ungodly atrocities may be found. Is it any wonder that we strive to build Biblical character in our children above other things?

Using Poetry to Teach Character

Poetry offers awesome opportunities to focus on godly character and how we respond to people and events. Scripture provides an abundance of poetic beauty through the Psalms. This extraordinary book contains 150 lyric poems. Lyric poetry contains the emotional responses of the poet to someone or something. In the case of Psalms, the poets respond to God and His creation. This type of poetry allows for the opportunity to examine healthy, emotional responses. The world often demonstrates unhealthy emotions, whether it’s something like obsessive love or intense anger, while Scripture offers a more godly alternative. Some specific Psalms that may be used to directly discuss godly character include:

· Psalm 1 - describes what a godly person does not do or gives non-examples, such as “sit in the seat of scoffers” or “walk in the council of the wicked”

· Psalm 8 – emphasizes man’s accountability and responsibilities

· Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 143 – deal with David’s sins and his repentance; clearly demonstrate the harmfulness and seriousness of falling into sin.

Interestingly enough, while much of ancient pagan poetry has disappeared over the centuries, the beauty and truth of the Psalms continues to change hearts and teach many!

One of the greatest poems written for young men, If, is by Rudyard Kipling. Although not written from a Biblical perspective, it does contain some excellent moral lessons and great food for thought in growing from boyhood to manhood. As well, J.P. McEvoy wrote a version of this poem for girls that offers similar advice but with a more Biblical foundation.

If

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

If For Girls
by J.P. McEvoy

If you can hear the whispering about you,
And never yield to deal in whispers, too;
If you can bravely smile when loved ones doubt you,
And never doubt, in turn, what loved ones do;
If you can keep a sweet and gentle spirit
In spite of fame or fortune, rank or place,
And though you win your goal or only near it,
Can win with poise and lose with equal grace;

If  you can meet with Unbelief, believing,
And hallow in your heart a simple Creed,
If you can meet Deception, undeceiving,
And learn to look to God for all you need;
If you can be what girls should be to mothers:
Chums in joy and comrades in distress,
And be unto others as you’d have the others
Be unto you – No more, and yet no less;

If you can keep within your heart the power
To say that firm, unconquerable “No”;
If you can brave a present shadowed hour,
Rather than yield to build a future woe;
If you can love, yet not let loving master,
But keep yourself within your own self’s clasp,
And not let dreaming lead you to disaster,
Nor pity’s fascination loose your grasp;

If you can lock your heart on confidences,
Nor ever needlessly in turn confide;
If you can put behind you all pretenses
Of mock humility or foolish pride:
If you can keep the simple, homely virtue
Of walking right with God – then have no fear
That anything in all the world can hurt you-
And – which is more – you’ll be a Woman, dear.

Either of the above poems may be used to examine what to do and what not do when it comes to character. By their own right, each contains enough virtuous qualities to be an entire character unit!

So, the next time you have a character challenge with your child or simply want to instill more character, consider using poetry! If you have a favorite poem that you think could be used to demonstrate character, please respond to this blog and include the poem, or at least the poet’s name with the title.

God bless in both your poetic and your character-building endeavors,

Beth

Congratulations to our next winner of the Epi Kardia Christmas Book Give Away, Monica from South Carolina, who won two books: Johnny Tremain and Number the Stars. We appreciate Monica taking time to comment on the last blog, Award Winning Books, even over the holidays!  We really enjoy everyone’s comments and encouraging words.  By subscribing to our mailing list on the right sidebar and making a comment on this blog by Sunday, December 7th, you’ll automatically be entered in this week’s give away. Check out the awesome poetry book and CD in Beth’s blog below that we’re giving away this week!

God Bless,

Dana

_____________________________________________________________

About ten years ago, I was asked to be a guest speaker at a home school event in Texas. The event had a literary theme and my job was to inspire young people to connect reading and writing. Poetry is one of the easiest ways to correlate reading and writing so I decided to impress everyone with my introduction: recitation of a poem I had memorized as a child. I decided that since I had known the poem my whole life, I didn’t really need to practice reciting it. Of course, that was a huge mistake! There I was, in front of an auditorium of eager parents and their children, and about halfway through "Block City" by Robert Louis Stevenson, I blanked. I literally could not remember the next word, let alone the next verse! After a moment of panicking, I continued my speech as if I had meant to stop mid-poem. God is good and He generously brought the second half of the poem to mind as I finished up my talk. I recited the remainder of the poem and ended my personal turmoil! My love for literature has always been accompanied by a love for poetry, as well. Probably my mother’s fault as she gave me my first book of poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson when I was in elementary school and I still have it today!

Poetry often gets overlooked in school, whether you’re in the classroom or home schooled. Some teachers and parents feel intimidated by poetry while others don’t view it as a required literary topic. The creativity and beauty of poetic language can teach children many lessons. Learning to understand poetry opens a child’s mind to looking at words differently. The word pictures created by poetry help children use descriptive words in their own writing. Also, children who are exposed to poetry as youngsters and continue to read it will find it easier to understand classic literature when they’re older. Poetry books make awesome gifts and may be used for educational purposes, too. Need some ideas? Check out our picks below:

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson – Yes, this is the infamous book that my mother gave me as a child and praise God, none of the poems have been "updated" or "modernized". This ideal book for early elementary aged children presents gloriously naive and precious pictures of childhood. Two of my favorite selections include "Block City", of course, and "Foreign Lands." This version includes illustrations by Tasha Tudor who maintains the sweetness and innocence of childhood in her artwork, thus matching the traditional poetry by Stevenson. A couple of interesting notes: Stevenson wrote his book of poetry while in bed suffering from tuberculosis and he was also the author of Treasure Island.

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children compiled by Jack Prelutsky – This massive collection of poetry, at 500 poems, presents a wide variety of poets from the classic Emily Dickinson to modern silly man, Shel Silverstein. The book is conveniently divided into general categories such as nature, home, seasons, etc. which can be very helpful when planning a unit study. While you may not find every poem to your liking, there are so many from which to choose that the mere size of the collection makes it useful. The illustrator, Arnold Lobel, presents fun and childlike artwork. As a Caldecott winner for his Frog and Toad series, I can’t imagine a more appropriate artist!

Poetry for Young People series by various artists (the link is for Robert Frost, but it will take you to multiple books in the series) – While I didn’t review all of the books in this series, I did enjoy the Robert Frost selection. The books begin with a brief biography of the poet and then go on to share 25 or more poems. This series would be ideal for a student who becomes fascinated with one particular poet or if you want to study a poet from a specific time period. Even though this series is designed for older elementary and middle school students, it would be wise to preview before having your student read, as many poets, such as Emily Dickinson, lead complicated lives. Each book also has a different illustrator, in an effort to match the poet’s writing style and content. Henri Sorensen, an excellent and realistic illustrator, combines nicely with Robert Frost.

A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children by Caroline Kennedy – The Kennedys have a family tradition of children creating poetry scrapbooks as gifts for parents and grandparents (see our related activity toward the end of this blog) and that tradition inspired Caroline to compile this collection. Organized in general themes such as seasons, animals and adventure, the themes may not be original but they’re definitely appropriate. A wide variety of poets are featured from Ogden Nash to T.S. Eliot to Rudyard Kipling, many of whom are not typically found in children’s poetry anthologies. Caroline Kennedy opens each section with a personal and encouraging message. The illustrations, most appropriately done, are lovely watercolors by Jon Muth and a cherished component in themselves.

A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll – Where should I begin?! This book will send home school moms around the world into fits of happiness. With poetry so challenging to teach, this publication actually makes it easier and more desirable to learn and share. Initially, you’ll notice that Driscoll actually explains the different types of poetry from haikus to ballads to nursery rhymes to sonnets in an articulate and interesting way. He then features famous poets all across history from Homer to Shakespeare to Dickinson to Sandburg and more! Each poet section includes a brief biography and a poetry sample. The "Words of Wisdom" component featured throughout the book introduces vocabulary from the poems that nicely accompany the detailed glossary in the back of the book. An extensive bibliography opens the door for continued research. One unusual quality is that this book could be used to teach children of every age. Even high school students could benefit from the information and the poetry examples. All of this wonderful text is accompanied by a CD with poetry selections read by professional actors to support the lessons. There are a couple of possible negatives. First of all, the selection for Shakespeare, excerpted from MacBeth, features the witches’ scene. For some families, this may be uncomfortable. Secondly, I think the illustrations are rather mundane for the content. Of course, that’s only my opinion. Children’s illustrators have established an environment of tremendous artistic ability, so my standards have certainly been raised in that area. Despite the possible negatives, I think this is one of the best options for home school parents when it comes to teaching their children to understand and appreciate poetry.

The Bible – Don’t forget Psalms and Ecclesiastes! The gloriousness of God’s Word should never be overlooked in teaching our children. An NIV (New International Version) could offer more clarity while a NKJ (New King James) version may sound more poetic.

Related Activity: For several years, my children created accordion books as gifts for their great grandmother. She had everything and loved handmade gifts. Made of high quality paper and cloth ribbon, the books soon became collectibles. We even purchased a decorative box for her to store the books. One year, the children copied their favorite poems and accompanied them by photos and original artwork. Such a gift can bring sweet memories and be repeatedly enjoyed.

I hope you discover these selections to be memorable gift ideas and helpful educational tools. To add to the excitement, we’re giving away A Child’s Introduction to Poetry (the book and CD!) to our next winner. In order to be in the drawing, be sure to comment on this blog by Sunday, December 7th.

And on a very serious note,

Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is go where they can find you. (Winnie the Pooh, as written by A.A. Milne)

‘Til we meet again, many blessings on your week,

Beth