Poetry writing in the post-16 English curriculum

Abstract

This paper examines the place of poetry writing in the post-16 English curriculum in Malta. In presenting the results of a small-scale study adopting a mixed methods approach, it explores the views of teachers, students and an influential examiner. The paper proposes that while there seems to be an appreciation of what creative writing can contribute to students’ engagement with poetry, there is at the same time a fear that students may not be capable of writing poetry because of a perceived lack of skills and talent. It also concludes that teachers may resist the teaching of poetry writing, because of a lack of professional craft knowledge and pedagogical skill in this domain.