No poem should ever be discussed or analyzed, until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end. All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling "interpretation" of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once.
Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on films, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching cannot replace the student and the teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it.
I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than analyzing it, if there isn't time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is a criticism of life, and a heightening (提升) of life. It is an approach to the truth of feeling, and it can save your life.
I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don't like it should not be forced to put that dislike on anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its essential nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it.
Maybe you are an ordinary student. This is not necessarily so. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how：
Plan your time carefully. When planning your work you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First arrange your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. , then decide a good, regular time for studying. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.
Make good use of your time in class. Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried.
You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
A. This will help you understand the next class.
B. You probably think you will never be a top student.
C. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.
D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.
E. There are other methods that might help you with your study.
F. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.
G. Make full use of spare time to take note of what the teacher says in class.
