Gendered responses to representations of women: student engagement with a song and poem

In South African (and other) English classrooms, students are expected to study poetry. However, students often find this to be both challenging and of little relevance to their lives. To ameliorate this challenge, we used a qualitative, interpretive action research study, using popular music, to support the study of poetry. This paper considers students’ gendered responses in cycle five of the study where the song Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys was used to study the poem Women by Alice Walker. Findings generated from written work, class discussions, and a research journal indicate that, although the song was a suitable choice to support the teaching of the poem, male and female students reflected contrasting responses and emotions. Some males felt marginalised, whilst most females felt inspired and empowered. It became clear that studying poetry (or any literary genre) needs to be underpinned by inclusion and openness to diverse voices.