Teachers of gifted/talented (G/T) students have known for a long time that poetry is a very special medium with their students. Many G/T students write poetry on their own, and those who are assigned to write it are often astounded with their results. Those of us who are familiar with poetry therapy know how poetry can bring out inner knowledge that was previously hidden from our psyche. This article addresses the concept of “difference.” G/T students are, after all, “special education” students. They know they are different from most of their peers. “Diversity” is a concept which is being addressed in almost all areas of life, but it is here integrated with the idea that G/T students have to deal with their own differences as well as those of others.
The rest of this article (reprinted from the Journal of Poetry Therapy) can be downloaded as a PDF below.