Before the current surge in popularity of classical education among homeschoolers, there was Laura Berquist, speaker and author of Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum. I discovered her writings when my older two children (now 18 and 20) were in their early elementary years. Though I’m neither Catholic, like the author, nor following completely the classical model of education, many of her ideas and suggestions appealed to me. One of these suggestions was the inclusion of fine arts and poetry appreciation in our curriculum. And Mrs. Berquist’s book, The Harp and Laurel Wreath, is still, hands-down, my very favorite poetry resource.

Including works from poets such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Shakespeare, Yeats, Frost, and others, The Harp and Laurel Wreath is designed for homeschoolers, and as such, is a user-friendly book. Including poetry for all students through grade twelve, the poems are arranged by the learning stages of the Trivium (Grammar, Dialectical, and Rhetorical). This makes it easy to find age-appropriate poems for memorization or appreciation. Extensive suggestions are given for how to use the book, including recommendations for memory work, dictation, and even discussion questions (and answers!) for the poetry for the later years. “Terms to know”, rhyme scheme, and poetry analysis are included. There are some line drawing illustrations, mostly in the early years’ section. I appreciate the fact that the discussion of the Christian faith is included where applicable, and while some are specific to the Catholic faith, I have never had any issues working around that aspect.

So, for busy homeschooling families, why even take the time to  study poetry? I whole-heartedly agree with the author’s viewpoint on this, from the introduction:

It is a temptation for a person who is homeschooling children to save fine arts appreciation for days when religion, English, mathematics, science, history, geography, literature, and penmanship are all finished. The problem, of course, is that all of these things seldom get done. Therefore the introduction of beautiful pictures, great music, and excellent poetry remains an activity to do “someday”.

This is a mistake, because the appreciation of fine arts is formative for the soul….The models in one’s imagination and memory become a part of the soul and affect all the rest of life. If the soul holds good, true, beautiful, noble, and heroic images, it will be inclined to love those things.

If you purchase only one poetry book for your family, I highly recommend you choose The Harp and Laurel Wreath. Our own family’s copy is battered, ink-stained, dog-eared…and well-loved.

World view marked indeterminate due to various views in the poetry and throughout the book.