Erica Said:

What are some credible national poetry contests?

We Answered:

I do not think there are really any like that.

Even ones that are 'safe' lack real credibility, as they seem to have a hidden agenda as to what is a 'good' poem

Jeffrey Said:

Must-read poetry for a high school student?

We Answered:

I always liked anyone lived in an any how town... Cummings

http://www.geocities.com/amandajoy78/poe…

Leonard Cohen would be a bold move too.

Arnold Said:

What is a good, explanatory poetry anthology for literature beginners?

We Answered:

The hands-down best is the Norton Anthology of Poetry. This book is used in college-level English courses and is EXCELLENT. It's not a textbook - it doesn't have questions or activities or exercises. It's a comprehensive volume of the most important poetry ever written. It covers all the important periods and movements in poetry; footnoted references for obscure words or concepts; and each section includes author biographies and historical context. It's about $40 but I promise it's worth it, and you could probably find it for less on half.com or ecampus.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Norton-Anthology-P…

Carole Said:

Do modern school poetry texts include glossaries?

We Answered:

Most of them do!!!

Sergio Said:

High School poet's original work?

We Answered:

Once Upon a Midnight Shore

Once upon a midnight shore, windy and salty, and nothing more
Each step made marks upon the sand, until a sight, did I stand
A light did sway upon the bay, as if it were looking for something
A lost memory
O! A love taken away by the sea, the burn of loss
Our lives tossed upon the waves with no care
Nothing to spare, the last wave of hair, upon my chest
And lest he comes for me, I’ll give my self freely, unto thee
A memory
Back to the place of such sadness and hate, my emotions disipate upon the shore
Nothing more, no love, no hate, no more sadness great, nothing more to implore
The dark shore, the sway of the light over the bay, a gentle whisper gone away
The gray fog swept in, upon my mind, just in time to find
A lost memory

--- here I am a high school student and this one poem hasn't been published yet!

Ralph Said:

Course reading list for 12th grade students at private Catholic high school?

We Answered:

When it comes to Catholicism in literature, I always turn to Graham Greene. He has a massive body of work but four of his novels are identified as Catholic novels. In fact, Greene drew a lot of criticism from the Catholic church because his novels often play on Catholic stereotypes. He was up for a Nobel Prize in the 1970s but he was turned down likely because of his antagonistic position with the Catholic church. At any rate, the four novels in question are:

The Heart of the Matter
The Power and the Glory
Brighton Rock
The End of the Affair

Look over each one and decide if they fit into your curriculum. My personal favorite is The Heart of the Matter but all of them are equally brilliant.

In terms of poetry, I have always enjoyed T.S. Eliot. His poetry is complex and very thought provoking. "Four Quartets" is one of my favorite Eliot poems. It is the type of poem one could easily spend three or four weeks discussing. I suspect your students will find him just as enjoyable as I have. If your students are well-read, perhaps Wallace Stevens is appropriate. Stevens was fascinated by the Imagist movement in art. Poems like "Man Carrying Thing" and "Not Ideas about the Thing But the Thing Itself" are brilliant in my opinion. Essentially, the whole idea of "The Thing" is a fascinating subject in and of itself. It is often a great topic for class discussion.

I hope you find this information helpful
Good luck with your class
Happy reading!!!