Poetry as Research

Poetry as Research develops an approach that allows poetry writing to be used as a research method for exploring questions relating to second language learners and more broadly for studies within the humanities and social sciences. The book investigates the characteristics of poetry writing and situates poetry writing as a qualitative, arts-based, research process. The book utilizes corpus linguistics, qualitative, bibliographic, and philosophical methods and investigates the process of writing poetry, the textual and literary characteristics of second language poetry, poetic identity and inquiry. The developed methodology is exemplified through a poetic inquiry of the study abroad experiences of ESL students. The book provides a comprehensive, informed and innovative approach to the investigation of understandings of personal experience. This book should be of interest to the fields of applied linguistics, stylistics, literary studies, creative writing and composition as well as anyone interested in using writing as a research method.

"Elegantly written, convincingly argued, and interspersed with hauntingly beautiful and poignant poems written by his ESL students, Hanauer's book draws attention to the unexplored potential of poetry writing in a second language classroom." Aneta Pavelenko, Temple University

"This is an important, readable and persuasive book for researchers, teachers and all those involved in second language teaching, creative writing, and international exchange programs in higher education." Geoff Hall, Swansea University