The genre of poetry: High school students’ expectations and interpretive operations

This study examined high school students’ knowledge of the conventions and operations that theorists hypothesize are associated with the poetic genre. In the first step, eight 16- to18-year-olds thought aloud as they read three prose texts and the identical wording presented visually as "pseudo-poems." In the second step, 26 students aged 16 to 18 read genuine poems in their original shape and also as prose. Poem-shaped texts triggered significantly more references to the conventions of polyvalence, metaphoric content, and a significant point; as well as more interpretive operations and longer reading times. Students also rated the poem-shaped texts as more enjoyable, challenging, emotionally engaging, and as eliciting more imagery. The expectations and textual features that influence readers’ aesthetic responses may be valuable guides when teaching poetry