This study will show and discuss various aspect of the study of poetry in the Swedish compulsory school since the 1840s. Poetry was originally read aloud in the classroom and learnt by heart and it was not until the last decades that poetry was brought to play a different role and the way of attitude gradually changed into a less respectful one. Poetry writing among the students became commonly practiced during the second period. A study of curriculum used shows that poetry in general has had a weak standing. There has also been a lack of educational materials in poetry.
Secondly, the study aims to show the image of poetry among teachers. In summary, teachers generally seem to consider poetry as important in school, although difficult to handle. A third aim of the study is to mirror how students evalutate and assess poetry. most students show great difficulties in exprssing their experiences from reading poetry. The majority of them use everyday language and very indistict words.
The final part of the study presents methodological aspects of reading and writing poetry as integrated parts of teaching literature and here various examples of the writing of poetry are given.
One appendix describes Artur Hazelius as editor for literature anthologies. The ther is a list of poetry for children and youth 1946-1990.