---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tell my students to think of poems as…"
description: "\"I tell my students to think of poems as language plus, language with value added beyond its everyday use.\" — Monica Youn"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg"
---

#  I tell my students to think of poems as language plus…

![“I tell my students to think of poems as language plus, language with value added beyond its everyday use.” quote by Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg)

> “I tell my students to think of poems as language plus, language with value added beyond its everyday use.”

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Poetry enriches ordinary language by layering meaning, emotion, and aesthetic form, turning everyday words into a heightened expressive medium.

**In simple terms:** Poetry adds depth to language.

Key Takeaway

Poetry is language with artistic augmentation.

Themes

Creativity Aesthetics Linguistics Emotion Interpretation

Mood

Inspirational Reflective Intellectual

Type

Educational Philosophical

When to use this quote

- Literature classes
- Creative writing workshops
- Therapeutic writing sessions
- Cultural analysis
- Public speaking preparation

Key Concepts

Metaphor Symbolism Rhythm Imagery

Practical Applications

- Teaching literary analysis
- Designing interdisciplinary curricula

Questions to Reflect On

- How does poetic structure alter perception of meaning?
- In what ways can poetic language influence emotional response?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Everyday use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-use/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Plus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plus/) [Plus Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plus-language-407858/) [Poems Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poems-language-407856/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Students Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students-think-407857/) [Tell Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-students/) [Think Poems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-poems-407855/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [The advice I tell students is to think about the big problems. I mean, work on anything you can work on where you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gross/the-advice-i-tell-students-is-to-think-about-the-big-problems-i-mean/)

[David Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gross/)

> [The language you use for your poems should be the language you use with your friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/the-language-you-use-for-your-poems-should-be-the-language-you-use/)

[Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/)

> [“Some poems survive it to become poems in another language,” he argued, “but others refuse to live in any language but their own, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/some-poems-survive-it-to-become-poems-in-another-language-he-argued/)

[Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/)

> [Poems are language turned into art; sound and sense matter; they can be as long or longer than The Odyssey or as short or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-mcgrath/poems-are-language-turned-into-art-sound-and-sense-matter-they-can-be/)

[Campbell McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-mcgrath/)

> [Of course the other and more serious way in which it all happens is that one finds in poems and language some quality one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fitzgerald/of-course-the-other-and-more-serious-way-in-which-it-all-happens-is/)

[Robert Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fitzgerald/)

> [“I wrote too many poems in a language I did not yet know how to speak But I know now it doesn't matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/i-wrote-too-many-poems-in-a-language-i-did-not-yet-know-how-to-speak/)

[Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/)

> [When philosophers use a word--"knowledge," "being," "object," "I," "proposition," "name"--and try to grasp the essence of the thing, one must always ask oneself: is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/when-philosophers-use-a-word-knowledge-being-object-i-proposition/)

[Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/)

> [Making beautiful things for everyday use is a wonderful thing to do - making life flow more easily - but art confronts life, allowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/making-beautiful-things-for-everyday-use-is-a-wonderful-thing-to-do/)

[Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/)

> [“A mother’s breast is like an efficient pharmacist: it produces general disease preventing substances for everyday use and then makes up specific medicines to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/a-mother-s-breast-is-like-an-efficient-pharmacist-it-produces-general/)

[Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/)

> [“When Isaac Newton embarked on his great program, he encountered a fundamental lack of definition where it was most needed. He began with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/when-isaac-newton-embarked-on-his-great-program-he-encountered-a/)

[James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/)

> [“Treating Abuse Today (Tat), 3(4), pp. 26-33 Freyd: I see what you're saying but people in psychology don't have a uniform agreement on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-calof/treating-abuse-today-tat-3-4-pp-26-33-freyd-i-see-what-you-re-saying/)

[David L. Calof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-calof/)

> [The Convention is not only a visionary document. We are reminded daily that it is an agreement that works - and its utility can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bellamy/the-convention-is-not-only-a-visionary-document-we-are-reminded-daily/)

[Carol Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bellamy/)

> [Men as well as women, must strive for a balance of experience. Masculinity, defined as requiring the ability to act physically or mentally but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-cox/men-as-well-as-women-must-strive-for-a-balance-of-experience/)

[Eva Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-cox/)

> [“It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-strunk-jr-2/it-is-an-old-observation-that-the-best-writers-sometimes-disregard/)

[William Strunk Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-strunk-jr-2/)

> [“About twenty years later, the Pentagon would begin giving away millions of pieces of military equipment to police departments across the country for everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radley-balko/about-twenty-years-later-the-pentagon-would-begin-giving-away/)

[Radley Balko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radley-balko/)

## More by Monica Youn

> [Part of my reaction to my diagnosis of infertility was deeply sarcastic and critical, part of it was morbid, part of it was numb,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/part-of-my-reaction-to-my-diagnosis-of-infertility-was-deeply/)

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

> [I don't experience "emotions" then "analyze" them; they always reach me pre-analyzed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-don-t-experience-emotions-then-analyze-them-they-always-reach-me/)

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

> [When you think about the concept of infertility, for example, it's not just medical; it's a repository of so many personal and societal meanings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/when-you-think-about-the-concept-of-infertility-for-example-it-s-not/)

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

> [I'm blissfully not writing anything. Just doing a lot of reading and hopefully some thinking as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-m-blissfully-not-writing-anything-just-doing-a-lot-of-reading-and/)

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

> [I can't even imagine having twins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-can-t-even-imagine-having-twins/)

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

> [When you talk about "infertility" you're already using a land-based metaphor - a woman's body compared to property, to be considered fruitful or barren.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/when-you-talk-about-infertility-you-re-already-using-a-land-based/)

[Monica Youn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

[Explore all 7 Monica Youn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/)

## More Everyday quotes

> [I love you with all my heart, but I didn't know true love hurts so hard, I love and I miss you, every single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-you-with-all-my-heart-but-i-didn-t-know-true-love-hurts-so/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Babe, I hear that everyday. all I can do is pray your not losing interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyfe-jennings/babe-i-hear-that-everyday-all-i-can-do-is-pray-your-not-losing/)

[Lyfe Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyfe-jennings/)

> [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/)

[George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/)

> [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/)

[Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/)

> [Photography's potential as a great image-maker and communicator is really no different from the same potential in the best poetry where familiar, everyday words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-caponigro/photography-s-potential-as-a-great-image-maker-and-communicator-is/)

[Paul Caponigro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-caponigro/)

> [I love fashion. I like dressing how I feel, and my music shows how I feel - they go hand in hand. My performance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/i-love-fashion-i-like-dressing-how-i-feel-and-my-music-shows-how-i/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [I miss our conversations, I miss how we used to talk every minute of everyday and how I was able to tell you everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-our-conversations-i-miss-how-we-used-to-talk-every-minute-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/)

[Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/)

> [Life on a small farm might seem primitive, but by living such a life we become able to discover the Great Path. I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masanobu-fukuoka/life-on-a-small-farm-might-seem-primitive-but-by-living-such-a-life/)

[Masanobu Fukuoka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masanobu-fukuoka/)

> [Everyday is a book-full of untold stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert/everyday-is-a-book-full-of-untold-stories/)

[Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert/)

> [I'm just trusting my work. Putting it in everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-gilgeous-alexander/i-m-just-trusting-my-work-putting-it-in-everyday/)

[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-gilgeous-alexander/)

> [Often I'm told I'm an inspiration to people which I will forever be grateful for. But the reality is that I'm only able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/often-i-m-told-i-m-an-inspiration-to-people-which-i-will-forever-be/)

[Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/)

> [Everyday is a gift never take it for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyday-is-a-gift-never-take-it-for-granted/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 3,473 Everyday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I tell my students to think of poems as language plus, language with value added beyond its everyday use.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Monica Youn"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as-language-plus-language-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Everyday"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as-language-plus-language-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/monica-youn-51614_everyday_i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as_24631.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I tell my students to think of poems as language plus, language with value added beyond its everyday use.” — Monica Youn",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Monica Youn",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-youn/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I tell my students to think...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as-language-plus-language-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-youn/i-tell-my-students-to-think-of-poems-as-language-plus-language-with/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
