If children's potential can be likened to a rich treasure, then it is the teacher who holds the key to revealing it. In recent years, outstanding progress has been made in education in free China. Since it was realized that traditional teaching methods, which included the practice of "cramming" before examinations, were out-of-date, they have been replaced by a more modern and heuristic approach. In particular, the implementation of the nine-year free education system has released children from the pressure of taking entrance examinations for high school, and enabled them to develop their interests and potential in fields such as painting, literature, music, drama and others. Some educators have led children into the realm of creating poetry, thereby opening another window on life and providing an outlet for their imagination and originality.

Winterby Li I-huang

The weather is turning on the air conditioner.

It is terribly cold.

My houseby Tai Hsiu-mei

I wish my house were made of

Musical instruments.

Every time I play them,

They begin to sound,

And the house is full of music.

I will no longer be lonely.

Eraser and chalkby Kuo Fa-heng

The eraser likes to stand against the chalk.

The chalk writes characters on the blackboard,

And the eraser wipes them out.

This angers the chalk and makes it shorter.

These poems amply illustrate the simplicity, innocence and rich imagination of young children. They are pleasing not only to the young, but also to adults, who are taken back to their childhood. A child's thoughts are unpolluted and carefree, and its view of the world is full of beauty and simplicity rather than violence and conflict. Children are able to write down original and innovative ideas which would never occur to adults. The creation and appreciation of children's poetry have added vitality to their education and opened up a new field in children's literature.

Generally speaking, children's poetry can be divided into three categories: Poems children can appreciate, poems written by adults for children and poems written by children themselves. Falling into the first category are poems from the Chinese classics and modern poetry dating from the May Fourth Movement. Although these poems are not written mainly for children, they do have some appeal for them. A pioneer in poetry for children, Yang Huan wrote many unforgettable verses in the early 1950s. He influenced many other people to write children's poetry, and now publications in the genre run into the dozens, and many newspapers have special columns on the subject.

The practice of teaching children to write poetry started in 1969, when Huang Chi-po opened a class at the Hsienchi Primary School in Pingtung County. Now almost every county and town in Taiwan has classes for poetry instruction. It has been shown that with proper guidance and inspiration from teachers, children can write surprisingly good poetry.

Recently, well-known poet Lin Huan-chang compiled a children's poetry pictorial entitled "The Secret of Haipao," which contains 58 poems selected from the best works of children at the Haipao Primary School. Recently, Sinorama reporters paid a visit to the Haipao School to find out how teachers have achieved success in children's poetry education.

The Haipao Primary School is located at Houlung in Miaoli County. Its setting is hardly ideal; because of its proximity to the seacoast, sand blows all over the campus. The school principal is currently engaged in leading teachers and the 120 students in six classes to grow plants to keep the sand down.

Despite this problem, the natural surroundings provide a happy environment for children. The hill behind the school is covered with wild flowers, grass and trees, interspersed with fields where peanuts and sweet potatoes are grown by local farmers. The hill, which also encompasses a green playing field for the children, commands a wide view of the campus, and beyond it some railway tracks and the seashore. This natural habitat is a source of inspiration for the young poets of Haipao.

Students in the fifth and sixth grades have received three years guidance from teachers, and are now used to writing poems. How can such a remote school produce so many "junior poets?" It seems to be attributable to the earnest efforts of teachers and the school principal who supports children's poetry education as a means of stimulating their imagination.

Students involved in poetry training carry notebooks with them all the time so they can jot down their ideas. "The students enjoy writing poetry because they can express their feelings freely and know they will be praised and encouraged for their efforts," said a teacher at the school, Tu Jung-chen. "We never force students to write poetry. We only try to cultivate their interest in creativity. Students can write as much as they want. If someone is unable to create, we don't force him, because he may merely resort to copying. This is not the aim of children's poetry education."

Apart from Tu, other teachers at Haipao engaged in poetry training are Liu Ting-tsai and Chang Hsiu-ming. From the start, instead of cramming students with theory, they give each student poetry publications to read and arouse the children's interest in writing. After the children have been allowed to try their hand at poetry writing, outstanding works are selected for display on the board at the rear of the classroom for all the students to read. If an outside publication accepts one of the chosen works, the children are even more inspired to write.

As they teach, instructors are often faced with a barrage of questions. "Sir, is there any form to poetry writing? Why are the lengths of poems not all the same? Do we need to use punctuation marks?" The replies are: "There is no form to poetry writing, no definite number of lines and the use of punctuation marks is optional."

Children's poetry, as in the case of modern adult poetry, is still at the stage of development. It should not be subject to too many limitations, otherwise it will be led into the dead end of prescribed form, and its development may be obstructed.

Teacher Liu said thoughtfully: "I gain more from teaching students to write poetry. As the students' work improves, I find that they are creating their best work spontaneously." Teacher Chang finds that students' powers of observation are sharpened and their imaginations enriched through reading and writing poetry. "In their eyes, the trees, flowers and grass take on a mysterious hue, and they seem to understand the feelings of all creatures. This effect cannot be obtained through more passive teaching methods. The potential of every student has to be developed assiduously," Chang continued. "Even lazy children who try to avoid doing their homework can create inspired work. I felt ashamed at neglecting their talent. Our aim in teaching poetry is not to make all the students into great poets. We only want to help them to use their minds to build up their self-confidence. When they grow up, no matter what profession they take up, they will know how to think out their difficulties and find new solutions."

Poetry writing is a good way for children to express their emotions, and helps parents to understand their children's ideas and needs. If undesirable ideas crop up in poems, it is probably due to an unhappy home life, and teachers can make up for the lack of parents' love.

Poetry education proves that the potential of children in the Republic of China is indeed profound, and that the Chinese are a poetic race. The achievements of poetry education are not limited to the literary sphere, since they help the appreciation of beauty as a whole. Children are helped to think independently and solve problems and are thereby enabled to take up the responsibility of cultural creativity in the next generation.

[Pictureplain]

With their simplified and carefree approach to life, children have powerful imaginations. In recent years, the flourishing development of children's poetry has given rise to various publications.

1. & 2. Combination of poetry and pictures is a teaching method adopted to develop children's creativity. Illustrated are two children's poems with accompanying pictures. 3. Chang Hsiu-ming teaching students to write poems at Haipao. 4. A Haipao student reads poems in a quiet corner of the campus.

Left: Tu Jung-chen often takes students outdoors for a poetry class. Below: Liu Ting-tsai asks his students to tell him what a flower reminds them of. Some answer a windmill, and others a parasol.

With their simplified and carefree approach to life, children have powerful imaginations. In recent years, the flourishing development of children's poetry has given rise to various publications.

Combination of poetry and pictures is a teaching method adopted to develop children's creativity. Illustrated are two children's poems with accompanying pictures.

Combination of poetry and pictures is a teaching method adopted to develop children's creativity. Illustrated are two children's poems with accompanying pictures.

Chang Hsiu-ming teaching students to write poems at Haipao.

A Haipao student reads poems in a quiet corner of the campus.

Tu Jung-chen often takes students outdoors for a poetry class.

Liu Ting-tsai asks his students to tell him what a flower reminds them of. Some answer a windmill, and others a parasol.