This paper deals with the characteristics and properties of children's poetry, especially in distinction to adult poetry. The idea to work out this topic arose in a lecture in which the question was raised whether the poem "Es führt dich meilenweit von dannen" by Friedrich Schiller, taken from a book of poems for children, was actually a children's poem. In this work, it should become clear which characteristics indicate that a poem belongs to children's poetry, or is suitable for children. At the beginning of the paper, I define the concept of poetry, especially children's poetry. I briefly discuss how difficult it is to find characteristic features that describe only children's poetry and explain why children's poetry is nevertheless a separate area of lyric poetry.
I give an overview of structures and elements frequently used in children's poetry in Chapter 2, and sample poems for individual characteristics are included in the appendix. In chapter 3 I explain the difference between children's and adult poetry. For this purpose, I compare a children's poem and an adult poem. In chapter 4, I deal specifically with the child reader and describe which factors, in addition to the structure of the text, play a role so that a child understands the content of a poem. In particular, I describe the problems that children have in reading the above poem "Es führt dich meilenweit von dannen".
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Children's poetry
1.1 Lyrics
1.2 Definitions of terms Children's poetry
1.3 How do you recognize children's poetry?
1.4 Children's poetry as an independent genre of poetry
2. Elements and structures of children's poetry
2.1 Themes of children's poetry
2.2 Linguistic structure
2.3 Meter, rhythm and rhyme
2.4 Structure of children's poetry
3. Boundaries between children's and adult poetry
3.1 Comparison of two poems
3.2 Joseph Guggenmos: " Wer bin ich?"
3.3 Nelly Sachs: Schmetterling
3.4 Significant differences of these poems
4. Investigation of the poem "Es Führt dich meilenweit von dannen" by Friedrich Schiller
4.1 Friedrich Schiller: Es führt dich meilenweit von dannen
4.2 Elements and structures of the poem
4.3 Is the poem suitable for children?
Research Objective and Core Topics
This work examines the specific characteristics of children's poetry in contrast to adult poetry, aiming to define what makes a poem suitable for a young audience. The central research question explores the boundaries between these two genres by analyzing structural and linguistic elements, ultimately questioning the classification of specific poems as "children's poetry."
- Definition and independent status of children's poetry as a genre
- Analysis of thematic, linguistic, and formal elements like rhythm and rhyme
- Comparative analysis of child-appropriate vs. adult-oriented lyrical texts
- Evaluation of criteria for determining the age-appropriateness of complex poems
Excerpt from the Book
1.2 Definitions of terms Children's poetry
Children's poetry, although it has similar components to adult poetry in terms of structure, is an independent area of poetry. However, giving a valid definition of children's poetry is difficult, if not impossible. No common lexicon defines the concept of children's poetry. Only children's song or nursery rhym can be found. In order to make it clear how different such definitions can be, I would first like to explain two definitions from common encyclopedias before I go into magda Motté's considerations.
"Children's songs and Nursery rhymes today form the most lively and diverse gatt. of the folk song. They were saved from extinction or oblivion mainly because they still fulfil a living function and are closely linked to the life of the child.
A distinction is made between: 1) songs for children sung by adults, for example sullabies; 2) the eigtl. K., e.g. Mocking songs, name corner rhymes, ortsneckereien, scherzerzählungen, chain fairy tales, lie poems, language games and fast speech rhymes." (Brockhaus Vol. 9, p.302)
"Nursery rhymes, simple verses, often accompanied by a simple melody. Nursery rhymes (such as counting rhymes) are mostly used for play. Every now and then they also have didactic significance." (Microsoft® Encarta® Professional 2002)
Magda Motté distinguishes 3 forms of children's poetry: poetry written for children, poetry written by children and poetry written by children. In this work, I only deal with the poetry that was written for children.
Summary of Chapters
1. Children's poetry: This chapter introduces the genre, discusses the difficulty of finding a universal definition, and establishes children's poetry as an independent field of literature.
2. Elements and structures of children's poetry: This section provides an overview of themes, linguistic devices, and formal aspects like meter and rhythm commonly found in children's poems.
3. Boundaries between children's and adult poetry: Through a comparative study of poems by Joseph Guggenmos and Nelly Sachs, this chapter explores how structural and stylistic choices differentiate poetry for children from that for adults.
4. Investigation of the poem "Es Führt dich meilenweit von dannen" by Friedrich Schiller: This chapter applies the previously discussed theoretical framework to evaluate whether a specific poem is truly suitable for a child audience.
Keywords
Children's poetry, Nursery rhymes, Lyricism, Adult poetry, Literary genre, Rhythm, Rhyme, Metaphor, Abstraction, Childlike reader, Joseph Guggenmos, Nelly Sachs, Friedrich Schiller, Pedagogical value, Language structure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic work?
The work focuses on identifying the specific characteristics that define children's poetry and distinguishing these from general adult poetry.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The study covers the structural and linguistic elements of children's poems, their themes, and the necessary cognitive requirements for a child to comprehend complex lyrical imagery.
What is the main research question?
The paper asks what characteristics qualify a poem as "children's poetry" and how we can distinguish it from adult poetry in terms of accessibility and abstraction.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, combining literary theory, definition analysis from encyclopedias, and a comparative study of specific poems.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the formal elements of children's poetry, compares them with adult examples, and critically assesses the suitability of Schiller's "Es führt dich meilenweit von dannen" for children.
Which keywords best characterize the paper?
The paper is characterized by terms such as children's poetry, literary genre, abstraction, rhythm, rhyme, and reader reception.
Why is the "abstraction level" so important for this study?
Abstraction level is identified as the decisive differentiator; children's poetry usually requires a lower level of abstraction than adult poetry to remain comprehensible.
How does the author evaluate Friedrich Schiller's poem for a young audience?
The author concludes that despite its appearance in children's books, the poem's heavy use of metaphors and high abstraction level make it unsuitable for primary school children and better suited for older students.
- Quote paper
- Mareike Duensing (Author), 2004, Children's poetry. Features and differences from adult poetry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1170847
