Despite hectic efforts of the educational planners, it is quite obvious that the standard of English,
in general and specifically at Secondary and Higher Secondary level, is fast deteriorating. The
students at Secondary level partially possess reading and writing skills. The inadequacy of
competence germinates further problems at the later stages, which become very difficult to
overcome. Poems are also part of curriculum and these are chosen for the enjoyment of the
students to break the monotony of their regular classes. The students want something different,
something new, stimulating and interesting. Unlike the other literary genres; novels, drama or
short stories, poems are brief and do not take much time. Students, in order to enjoy poetry, must
be able to comprehend it. They can only comprehend it if their needs are kept in mind. Therefore,
texts chosen for the early stages must be fairly simple. It should be appropriate to the age,
interests and goals of the students. Certain texts will be appealing to younger children, others to
teen-agers and more complex texts to mature students at the graduate or university level.