Understanding Poetry

 Listening to poetry is one of the best ways to absorb the natural rhythm of a language as well as its structures. Reading, listening to understanding poetry immerses yourself in an art form that explores cultures everywhere in the world. 


This course is more appropriate for advanced English, but intermediate learners will aslo benefit from it. The Modernist poet TS Eliot wrote that we can often connect with and read poetry in another language before we can do the same with prose. Personally, I found that to be true. I'll look for his essay to post here.

Why read a poem? Why write one? People say poetry as an art form is imperiled in our time, yet everywhere in the world cultures and individuals memorize, recite, and value various forms of poetry. This course will attempt to define this genre of writing, to discuss its particular attributes, to distinguish between good and bad poetry, to explain why so much poetry is difficult, and to isolate the sorts of truths poetry seems best at conveying. Our focus will be on modern poetry, in English and in translation.

Understanding Poetry by Margaret Soltan

Combining Sentences into Paragraphs

Putting your ideas together into paragraphs is more than just writing sentences one after the next. You'll need linking language like FANBOYS (conjunctions - for, and, nor, but, or, yet, since), and linking language to order and connect your ideas. Writing descriptive paragraphs and short writing assignments will help you practice.

Combining Sentences into Paragraphs

Letter Writing

Even though we often use email and fax to correspond today, business letters sent by post ("snailmail") are still very important. A well-structured letter is a pleasure to receive and creates a good impression.

It is just as easy to write a well organised letter as a badly organised one, because the layout of a modern business letter in English is very simple. Your address is at the top (in the middle or on the right). The rest of the letter can be in "block" format, with each line starting on the left. There should also be plenty of white space.

There are some minor differences in layout between British and American English and according to personal style. Here, however, are the key elements of a letter

Read the rest at ESL Articles: Letter Writing | EnglishClub.com