Idiomatic expression in poetry as authentic materials for teaching english at senior high schools

Idioms are a component of a word group or a sentence that incorporates two or more words with a meaning that contrasts with their literal meaning. In addition, idioms are an outstanding way to enhance sentences. This study examines types of idiomatic expressions in Emily Dickinson Selected Poems and its relevance with K-13 basic competence for High School eleventh grade. This study employed qualitative study to examine types of idiomatic expressions in Emily Dickinson’s “Emily Dickinson Selected Poems” using checklist tables as instruments. The findings revealed that there are 45 Dickinson poems, focusing on life, love, nature, special ability, and friendship and identifying five poems containing idiomatic expressions. These expressions can be authentic materials for English Language Teaching in Indonesian high schools. This study concludes that Dickinson’s book is authentic material for teaching English in senior high schools. The researcher suggests using the findings for teaching English in senior high schools, improving students’ understanding of idiomatic expressions, and analyzing idiomatic expressions in other authentic materials.