Using Indie songs to enhance seventh-grade students’ free poetry writing skills

Abstract

Students in the seventh grade often experience challenges in composing free poetry, particularly in selecting appropriate diction, developing themes, and expressing ideas creatively in written form. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of using indie songs as a medium to enhance students’ free poetry writing skills. Indie songs were selected as learning media because their emotional resonance and literary expressions in the lyrics can enrich students’ vocabulary and strengthen the aesthetic quality of their poetic language. The research employed a Classroom Action Research approach conducted in two cycles involving 20 students. The procedure consisted of four stages: planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. Data was collected through classroom observation and performance assessment of students’ poetry writing. The findings demonstrate that the use of indie song media effectively improved students’ ability to express ideas, select meaningful diction, and construct creative and coherent poems. The study highlights the pedagogical value of integrating music-based media in language learning to stimulate emotional engagement, expand linguistic resources, and develop students’ creative writing competencies.

Keywords: classroom research; creative writing; diction; indie songs; poetry learning.