Have you ever heard the word ‘literacy’? What do you think it means? ‘Literacy’ means the quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write (from Dictionary.com). I’m sure that you have often heard the Korean word, ‘문해력’(Moon Hae Ryeok), which translates into literacy. Many educators and instructors say that they are worried that young people are having problems with their literacy nowadays. What about our literacy in English? We know that we don’t have enough time and energy to read and write to improve English literacy effectively. Then, what should we do? One of the simplest ways is to read English literary works as much as possible. Short English passages and expressions online will save us much time if we don’t have time to read a long and heavy book. As a result, I strongly recommend reading English poems to improve our English literacy. It will give us motivation to learn and knowledge about the language itself. Then, where and how to start? Fortunately, we already have many web sites to search for good and beautiful English poems like www.poetryfoundation. org, and https://poems.com. Here are a few steps to enjoy English poems; these are helpful to those who are beginners in English poems. First, just quickly go through a poem with no hesitation. Don’t stagger or hesitate when you encounter difficult and unfamiliar words. You don't have to stop to look them up in the dictionary; keep on your eyes on the words that you already know. For example, take this part of a poem written by Alice May Douglas: Enjoy English Poems to Improve Literacy! 36 English Use & Usage Who loves the trees best? “I” said the Spring. “Their leaves so beautiful to them I bring.” Who loves the trees best? “I” Summer said. “I give them blossoms, white, yellow, red.” Second, read it aloud two or three times. Poems are usually musical rather than prose. So, reading them aloud help you enjoy the sound of the language. Let's read aloud the latter half of the poem above. Who loves the trees best? “I” said the Fall. “I give luscious fruits, bright tints to all.” Who loves the trees best? “I love them best” Harsh Winter answered, “I give them rest.” Third, find the rhyme-scheme. Poems often have interesting repetition of certain sounds at particular intervals, which is called rhyme. You probably noticed rhymes in popular songs, such as rap and hip-hop songs. Finding the rhyme-scheme gives a sense of enjoyment when reading English poems. You can easily notice the repetition of the same sounds at the end of the lines, such as Spring-bring, said-red, Fall-all, and best-rest. Fourth, find some interesting or catchy expressions. Which one caught your eyes first? Personally, “Who loves the trees best?” because it’s the title of the poem as you see! Kyungnam Times ● 37 Lastly, think about the meaning of the poem. The poem has four seasons speak of their love to the trees, even ‘harsh winter’ gives them rest. We may think winter threatens the lives of nature, but the poem says that winter can give nature one of the most precious things. We all need ‘rest’ after we boast of colorful blossoms or fruits at a certain phase of our life. Now, read it aloud again, write it down, and send it to whom you love and care for. It will be a surprising present to them. Who loves the trees best? by Alice May Douglas Who loves the trees best? “I” said the Spring. “Their leaves so beautiful to them I bring.” Who loves the trees best? “I” Summer said. “I give them blossoms, white, yellow, red.” Who loves the trees best? “I” said the Fall. “I give luscious fruits, bright tints to all.” Who loves the trees best? “I love them best,” Harsh Winter answered, “I give them rest
