So, would a teacher accomplish the title goal of this book if guided by Koch's strategy? Hm. I guess it depends on exactly how the goal is defined. If it means helping children and teens see that grown-up poetry (as opposed to the kind of pap from Prelutsky that is most often shared in schools) is accessible and interesting, and if the teacher is passionate about the subject himself, sure. It is not a guide that can be used to work miracles, though. And in fact many time Koch himself focuses on less important aspects of the poem because they're the aspects most relevant to the students.

If the goal is to get children to think creatively, and to write expressively, well, again, an inspired and inspiring teacher will have some success. The goal was probably not to help a housewife of a certain age better appreciate certain poems, but that is what it succeeded at best, imo. If you're looking for similar help, this is a pretty good book. Lots of poems and suggested writing ideas - 10 full lessons with kids' works and an anthology of more poems with brief lesson ideas.

Meanwhile, here are some bookdart marked passages -

Inspired by Blake, a 6th-grade student, Jeannie Turner, wrote:

Oh Daffodil, I hope you never die but last forever.
Oh Daffodil, live until the sun turns read and the moon turns black."

Two of Federico Garcia Lorco's poems prompted Andrew Vecchione to write:

*The World Under Green Mist*

Under the moon's green mist lie dreams of beauty and wonder
There are beds of fur from a fox
The warmth of the fireplace glows sparks of wonder
With the peaceful dark of the night lie fire bugs flickering their lights
Oh under this world with green mist lie the dreams of every person
Hidden from them until they die.

and Sedley Alpaugh to write:

*As I Sailed*

The sea was amarillo
With waves of rojo
The sun azul
And the sky gris
This was all this
As I sailed
In my verde boat.

Btw, my edition is the one from 1974, and it has a slightly different cover." ( )

Rose, Where Do You Get that Red? by Kenneth Koch is written for educators, and yet it is accessible to others. Reading it as a mother shows me that reading classic poetry to my young child can be inspiring in not just their own understandings of poetry but also in their own writing. There is no need to limit children to “age-appropriate” poetry, which often is cliché and boring; children can handle the “real” stuff, like Shakespeare, Donne, William Carlos Williams, and Wallace Stevens.

More detailed review on my blog