Poetry Review # 6: Multicultural Poetry: Pat Mora

This Big Sky

Mora, Pat. The Big Sky. New York: Scholastic Press, 1998.  ISBN: 978-0439400701

Critical Analysis

Pat Mora has once again created a masterpiece, this time with the desert and southwest being the centerpiece which has been memorialized in the minds of readers.  This poetry collection takes readers on a journey underneath the “big sky” of the hot sands of the desert and all that crawls and calls this place home.  Mora has used her personal experiences of this vast and uniquely diverse region and created fourteen poems which are almost songlike in their description.  The richness of the words and the rhythm that these poems possess is powerful and touching, as the abstract meaning behind the poems are brought to life in an entirely concrete form.  Each poem, when paired with a cut paper collage illustrations Steven Jenkins provides the reader with a perfect combination.  The imagery of these animals of this desert region and the landscapes present set a relaxing mood, one that is inviting to the reader.  Mora brings out the beauty of a place that others may consider bleak and boring, as she tells of an Indian in a mountain in snow, wildflowers, and the wind.  Her vocabulary is rich an succulent, and once again she has embedded her Latino culture into each poem with Spanish words which enhance the meaning.  In the first poem This Big Sky, Mora reaches out to her readers, using the metaphor that “This big sky is big enough for all my dreams”.  This uplifting collection is sure to help bring out big dreams in the readers as they experience the desert in vivid form.

POEM SPOTLIGHT

River-Moon

River goes sliding; sliding by.

              Río goes gliding under night back sky.

                                                River goes hiding in canyons dry.

                                                                                Río goes sliding, sliding by.

Moon goes sliding; sliding by.

             Luna goes gliding under night back sky.

                                                Moon goes hiding in canyons dry.

                                                                                Luna goes sliding, sliding by.

River-moon sliding; sliding by.

              Río and luna gliding under night back sky.

Pat Mora                            

Analysis:

In this poem collection, amongst poems that take readers on a journey into the desert, readers will be mystified by the words of River-Moon.  The simple phrasing with repetition and patterning seems to flow effortlessly as readers feel the flow of the river Mora is describing, “the sliding of the river as it is gliding under the night sky and finally hiding in canyons dry”.  The arrangement of the text and illustrations into three sections is mesmerizing to the reader, and the moon and river seem to wind and twist before your eyes.  Mora has cleverly intertwined the Spanish terms luna and rio in italics throughout the poem, and again in the conclusion as a combination, allowing the reader to understand how these two pieces of the desert landscape are companions.  Together, Mora and Jenkins have created a masterpiece that allows readers to experience the relationship of the river and the moon in a lyrical representation.

Classroom Connections:

This repetition and patterning within this poem make it worthy of being read aloud to students.  Students in grades second through fifth could listen to the words and experience for themselves the flow of the words Mora has used in relation to the slow of the river. 

Students could listen to the poem with their eyes closed during the first reading.  After they have heard the entire poem they could write down or draw what they heard.  Then students could read the poem aloud together, and write or draw what they heard different this time.  On the final reading the teacher could share the poem again, this time showing the image from the book.  Together students could discuss how each reading enhanced the words Mora was using to describe the river and moon in the desert at night.  They could list the rhyming and repetitive phrases they observed. 

Students love to learn about the moon and how it lights the night sky.  Mora’s poem is an ideal resource for promoting poetry in science.  Students could predict and discuss how the moon and the river might appear differently when the moon is in a different phase, other than full which is presented in the illustration.



Poetry Review 5: NCTE Award Winning Poetry of John Ciardi

Doodle Soup

Ciardi, John. Doodle Soup. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985.  ISBN: 978-0395616178

Critical Analysis:

Doodle Soup is a comical collection of poems which range in style from rhyming to riddle like verse, but the entire collection will tickle your funny bone.  Ciardi has put together a collection of poems that serve one primary purpose, to entertain readers and make them laugh! He has truly capitalized on experiences that young children can relate to from pets, to baths, to baby brothers.  There are lessons on manners, tales of adventure, but above all Ciardi’s poem make reading FUN!  Each poem has a concrete theme, which is generally fitted with a clever title to catch reader’s attention.  Ciardi includes rhyme in every work, even the one titled, Why Pigs Cannot Write Poems, which cleverly states “because nothing rhymes with oink.”  Students can relate to the simple organization and themes present in this collection and will become overwhelmed with vocabulary or mood that they find hard to understand.  The illustrations of Merle Nacht although simple in design, provide just enough insight and imagery that the reader needs, without stifling their imagination and the imagery they may have already perceived.  Ciardi has masterfully compiled a collection of poems that promote humor and will definitely promote poetry in a positive manner with kids of all ages!

POEM SPOTLIGHT

The Dollar Dog

I had a dollar dog named Spot.

He wasn’t much, but he was a lot

Of kinds of do, plus a few parts flea,

Seven parts yapper, and seventy-three

Or seventy-four parts this-and-that.

The only thing he wasn’t was cat.

He was collie-terrier-spaniel-hound

And everything else they have at the pound.

Yes, some might call him a mongrel, but

To me he was a thoroughbred, pedigreed mutt.

A middle-sized nothing, or slightly smaller,

But a lot of kinds to get for a dollar.

John Ciardi

Analysis:

Hilarious is one word you could use to sum up this poem and everything it provides readers!  John Ciardi has truly captured the essence of a dog of many breeds in this rhyming rendition full of synonyms which describe a dog.  Whether it be yapper, collie, terrier, or hound, a mongrel, or a mutt from the pound, this dog is everything but……CAT.  Kids of all ages will get a kick out of this witty poem which they themselves can relate to.  The black and white illustration is basic in design, but allows readers to imagine what a dog that is made up of so many things would actually look.  Ciardi describes this cheap dollar dog as “not costing much, but made up of a lot” and when considering that this dog is part flea you cannot help but smile as you read!  To most kids what makes a great pet is not in how much it costs, but how much love that the bond brings.  Ciardi has revealed this everyday experience for reader of all ages in this charming poem about Spot, the dollar dog.

Classroom Connections:

This funny poem provides students with a theme they can relate to, having a pet dog.  The simplistic style of this poem as well as the relatable theme, make The Dollar Dog, a great poem for amateur student poets to experience in the beginning.  This poem is a great example of end rhyme and students could have fun identifying the rhyming words and coming up with more words of these same patterns. 

There are many poems with this same theme, and this would be a great way for the teacher to share a collection of poems about a dog such as, Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech. 

Students could extend the poetry break into a writing activity and write and draw about a pet they have or have had in the past.  Students could write about the kind of pet, how they acquired the pet, and things they do or did with the pet to make it special like the dollar dog.  Students could bring in photographs of the pet to share with the class as they read their writing about their pet.

Poetry Review # 4: Florian Poetry

Insectlopedia

Florian, Douglas. Insectlopedia. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998.  ISBN:  9780152013066

Critical Analysis:

This insect themed collection of poems is crawling with details and factual information about creatures of all kinds.  Florian has taken twenty one common insects and created poems and paintings that together teach the reader facts about each interesting and unique species.  From the caterpillar who “eats leaves to fill her, and leaves her like a faterpillar”, to the praying mantis that will “sit and pray for something big to wend my way” while the whole time waiting no other way, but “Religiously”.  Florian’s careful selection in rhyming vocabulary is not only scientific, but comical at times. 

Florian has thoughtfully created a collection that is creepy and crawly, just like its subject matters, from what the words actually say, to the arrangement of the text on each page.   It is evident that Florian had his audience of elementary school children in mind, just by looking at the uniqueness of each poem.  The phrasing of The Inchworm seems to be inching along the page in an arch that cleverly represents an inchworm itself, while The Whirligig Beetles text has been written in a circle as if it was left behind by a whirligig in motion.  The length of the poems may be short and simple, but Florian’s choosy words and phrasing prove to be meaningful and poignant.  Florian took extra care in making sure that the paintings were a perfect fit for the poem they were bringing to life.  The imagery that the reader sense from within the words is present within the painting that it has been coupled with.  Students and teachers will become entomologists in training as they explore Florian’s poems and learn all about insect species of all kinds!

POEM SPOTLIGHT

The Monarch Butterfly

He is a monarch.

He is a king.

He flies great migrations.

Past nations he wings.

He is a monarch.

He is a prince.

When blackbird’s attack him,

From poison they wince.

He is a monarch.

He is a duke.

Swallows that swallow him

Frequently puke.

Douglas Florian

Analysis:

In a collection of poems all about insects, lies one poem that represents the beauty found within nature in a Monarch butterfly.  This twelve line poem, although short and simple, shares facts about the life and obstacles of a monarch butterfly in great detail.  Florian opens reader’s eyes to a new concept in relation to this extraordinary creature, the fact that he is a monarch possessing royalty.  One of the most intriguing lines of this poem is when Florian says, “He flies great migrations.  Past nations he wings”, as Florian has introduced students to the concept of migration.  The reader is able to use imagery as they contemplate the long distance flight that a monarch butterfly takes part in as it flies “past nations”.  The painting that Florian has coupled with this particular poem is bright and vibrant, in hues of orange and black, the perfect color choice when representing the Monarch.  The image of the butterfly is symmetrical and realistic, but also appears to resemble a crown as it relates to Florian’s mention of being “a king”.  This poem provides a great introduction for students to a unique insect that has so much to offer in the scientific study of living things.

Classroom Connections:

The Monarch butterfly has become an important part of many elementary school science lessons as teachers use it as an example to teach lifecycles, migration patterns, and adaptations.  This poem would serve as a great resource in introducing readers to their new science unit. 

Before the unit begins the teacher could read the poem to the students and have them think about what animal they think they will be learning and observing.

Although the poem shares some interesting facts about the Monarch butterfly, there are still many facts that students could learn.  Students will keep a fact journal as they observe the lifecycle of the Monarch.   Students will also learn more about how the Monarch “flies great migrations” as they study the migration of the Monarch through the Journey North resources and program @ http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/.

As a culminating activity, students will use their observation to add two more facts to the poem. 



Poetry Review #3: African American Poetry

Spin a Soft Black Song

Giovanni, Nikki. Spin a Soft Black Song. Toronto: Collins Publishers, 1971.  ISBN: 978-0374464691

Critical Analysis: Nikki Giovanni has masterfully put together a collection of her works that truly symbolize what it was like to be an African American child and the experiences that come and go.  Her clever use of ethnic language and slang in the words and phrasing of each selection makes the reader feel like they are listening to a conversation.  Each poem has a different voice and message, but all revolve around natural, ordinary days.  The poems in this collection are in free verse style and seem to slip off of your tongue, as the language eases and glides to your ears.  The collection begins with a poem about a baby and as the reader progresses through each pieces they see the characters age as well.  The general mood of the poems in this collection is joyful as the concrete meaning hidden within the short pieces emerges.  The two poems, mommies and daddies, are excellent examples of the connection and reality that the words express to readers and listeners.  Mommies make you do things that they see as important, while daddies are more worried about you being tough, and Giovanni has skillfully presented these instances.  George Martin’s black and white illustrations provide just enough detail to bring the imagery created in the words to life, as if the reader knows the characters personally. This collection brings about many emotions and feelings, but more impressively it is a collection that students can relate to as they discover the quality of each piece.  The absence of rhyme is made up for in succulent vocabulary and language that is childlike and easy to follow.  The diversity of themes makes this collection one that a diverse group of children could enjoy together.  Giovanni’s talent to write from a child’s perspective makes this poetry collection special for people of all ages to enjoy, share and recall.

POEM SPOTLIGHT

trips

eeeveryyee time

when i take my bath

and comb my hair (i mean

mommy brushes it till i almost cry)

and put on my clean clothes

and they all say MY

HOW NICE YOU LOOK

and i smile and say

“thank you mommy cleaned

me up”

then i sit down and mommy says

GET UP FROM THERE YOU GONNA BE DIRTY

‘FORE I HAVE A CHANCE TO GET DRESSES

         MYSELF

and i want to tell her if you was

my size the dirt would catch

you up faster

Nikki Giovanni

 Analysis: In the poem, trips, the reader is able to personally connect to the little girl as she is prepared to go out on the town.  Giovanni has chosen an everyday activity that children so easily relate to, and made it come to life.  Her words are honest, and by no means sugar coated as the reader can almost feel for themselves the brush as it pains their head.  The childlike language she uses flows freely and seems so realistic, you can almost hear the girl speaking yourself.  The transition from all lower case letters to all capitals letters at various times during the poem helps the reader to sense the tone in a more concrete and natural way.  When read aloud, this poem is easy to comprehend, and students will be able to quickly understand the theme and content being presented.

Classroom Connections:  This poem is an excellent selection to use in order to introduce students to poetry that is non-rhyming and more natural and free verse.  Since most of the poetry children in grades 3-6 have been exposed to rhymes, sharing trips aloud to students will help them to begin to explore other forms of poetry.  Upon hearing the poem read aloud students could discuss what they heard and the meaning and mood of the poem.  The title of this poem is clever, trips, so the teacher could also discuss how the title of a poem sometimes is a clue as to what the poem is about.  Once students have discussed what they heard, show the students the picture.  Discuss how the illustration helps the reader to understand and comprehend the poems meaning even more.  Share another poem from the book with students and have them draw a pencil illustration portraying what they hear.  Have students share their drawings and then share the illustrators drawing to the class as a whole.

As a culminating activity students could take turns reading aloud the poem in pairs, one taking the parts in lowercase and the other reading the parts in all capitals.  This would be a great chance to share with students about the genre of poetry and how it can read and shared in many different ways.

 

Poetry Review # 2: Lee Bennett Hopkins Collection

Amazing Faces

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Amazing Faces. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2010.  ISBN: 978-1600603341

Critical Analysis: Lee Bennett Hopkins has thoughtfully and carefully selected sixteen poems, each with a diverse focus on a different emotion; excited, relaxed, exhausted and elated are just a few.  This collection equivocally captures the essence of how certain emotions affect humans of all ethnicities in the same manner.  The illustrations of Soentpiet engage the reader and are a satisfying addition to the imagery that is found within the text of these pieces.  Each poem is coupled with an illustration portraying the emotion represented in the words and phrasing on the individual’s face.  The reader or listener experiences a connection with the poems which relate to many personal feelings they may have felt themselves, as a child into adulthood.  The mood of the poems ranges from silly to serious, but each on expresses a heartfelt message.  The quality of these poems is high, and the intended audience of elementary age children will enjoy the diversity offered in rhythm and pattern with many of the poems displaying some form of rhyme.  Hopkins has gathered powerful pieces from some of the most impressive authors in an effort to help people realize that we all “feel” the same way. 

POEM SPOTLIGHT

Miss Stone

My wishes gathered like ants.

I wished there was no recess.

I wished there was no first day.

I wished somebody, anybody

Would come over and ask me to play.

Then you said, “Excuse me.

Would you keep me company?

I’m feeling alone.”

Remember Miss Stone?

I loved you that day.

You made my unhappy thoughts

Scamper away.

Nikki Grimes

Analysis: In the poem, Miss Stone by Nikki Grimes, the reader is captivated by the heartfelt worries of a little girl who is struggling with being new on the first day of school, and even worse, being alone on the playground at recess.  The poem begins with a simile, “My wishes gathered like ants,” and Grimes hooks readers into figuring out what could be so painful in this little girl’s life.  She wishes for there to be no recess, no first day, but what she really wishes is to be asked to play.  The abstract theme and steadfast tone presented in the words are both ones that most children will relate to.  Grimes surprises readers as the distinct emotion of loneliness emerges into relief and satisfaction upon her last wish coming true.  The most powerful line in this short yet powerful piece, “Remember, Miss Stone?”, is proof that sometimes the best of friends are those we least expect, and how quickly individuals as caring as Miss Stone become so loved.  Grimes is able to lighten the mood and bring a smile to the reader’s face , just as the illustration of the once lonely girl.  This poem coupled with the illustration surprises readers with a unique twist, with a happy ending.  The use of rhyme in only a few places lets the power of the words play out, and then ties them .together in one pretty package.

Classroom Connections: This poem would be great as a read aloud for students on the first day of school.  I think they could easily relate to the little girl in the poem.  The first sharing students could close their eyes and just listen to the words.  Students could discuss what they think the poem is about after they have heard it.  Then the teacher could share the picture with the class and read it again, only this time have the class read the parts of the girl and the teacher reads the parts of the teacher.  This would be a great way to start poetry sharing on the first day!

The first day of school is tough for all kids, especially those who are new to the school all together.  This poem could be used as an ice breaker activity in helping children cope with the anxiety and loneliness that the first day brings. 

Students could also brainstorm other “firsts” in their life that made them feel scared and lonely and discuss how they were able to conquer their fears. 

Poetry Review 1: School Poetry

The Goof Who Invented Homework and Other School Poems

Dakos, Kalli. The Goof Who Invented Homework and Other School Poems. NewYork: Dial Books, 1996.

Critical Analysis: Kalli Dakos has indeed created something special in this humorous and lighthearted book of poems all about, SCHOOL!  This unique thirty six poem collection is very diverse in style and structure, but one thing is for sure, the words and phrases seem alive enough to bounce right off of the pages.  The poems are constant, where one ends another begins, page upon page.  Dakos definitely has her audience in mind with poems that center around themes they call all relate to.  The silly and whimsical design of these rhyming masterpieces is sure to make you laugh out loud, whether you are reading about the murder of the 4^th grade goldfish, or Jason, the class clown, driving Miss Hogan bonkers again and again!  Students of all ages will immerse themselves in this collection which has poems that are short and to the point, and other which seem to tell a story.  This collection embraces many poetic elements but one of my favorites, Have a Great School Year, creatively uses personification by bringing to life all of the school supplies.  Readers will laugh as they see for themselves how even the supplies dread another school year and the end to a peaceful summer.  What a great poem to share on the first day to all of those dreading students!  It is evident that Dakos understands children as well as the turmoils of school.  This poetry collection serves as a perfect escape from the reality of school into a world of hilarious rhyming and verse.  Denise Brunkus has made the characters inside these poems come to life with her detailed black and white illustrations which appear on almost every page. This collection is one that will not remain on the shelf for long!

POEM SPOTLIGHT

Back Away! Back Away!

Excerpt:

I knew Carol was sick

The first day I met her.

Her skin was pale

As the sand

That stretches

On the beach

Near my house.

She was so thin,

I was afraid

She would topple over

When the wind blew through

The oak trees

On the playground.

“I have a terrible disease,”

She told me one day,

“But I like to imagine

I’m healthy just like

The other kids.”

It was hard to pretend

In our school.

“Back away!  Back Away!”

Timothy warned his friends,

Whenever she walked

Near them.

“She’s covered in germs,

And some of them

Will jump on you.”

Whenever this happened

Her big blue eyes

Turned all watery

As if storm clouds

Were covering the sky,

And she cried,

“My disease is not catching.”

Kalli Dakos

Analysis: In the midst of a book full of silly and zany poems about school is one spectacular and somber piece that is sure to touch your heart, Back Away! Back Away!.  This poem does not rhyme, but instead reads more naturally as a story.  Dakos has creatively used similes and imagery to help readers understand how Carol is feeling as she becomes more and more outcast because of her illness.  From the beginning the reader has a sense of how sick Carol is as Dakos explains using a similie, “Her skin was a pale as the sand that stretches on the beach near my house.”  The friendship of the two characters provides hope as the mood of the poem although sad and emotional at times, becomes one of peace when the narrator realizes that Carol’s death represents a new beginning.  Dakos’ cleverly symbolizes Carol’s relentless spirit in the yellow petals of the flowers at her funeral which shine “as bright as the sunshine.”  The most intriguing element in this poem is the continuous repetition of the words, back away, as they are yelled by condescending classmates at school or up until Carol is in a place where she will never hear those words again.  This poem will evoke response from students of all ages on many topics of discussion and is sure to bring out a handful of emotions and feelings.

Classroom Connections: This poem is a great selection to use in order to help students understand death.  I think that students in grades 3-6 would especially find this poem to help them cope with the loss of a friend or loved one. 

This poem would be great to use in a Health unit on illnesses that are contagious and those that are not.  In this case, Carol’s illness was not contagious, but the students were adamant that they “back away” from her.  Students could discuss how always being an outcast made Carol feel.  Students could brainstorm ways that the students could have made better choices and made Carol feel accepted.

As a culminating activity students could write get well cards to kids at a local children’s hospital in order to make a positive impact on those who are dealing with illness.

For other great lesson plan activities related to the poems in this book check out: www.kallidakos.com/lessonplans/Goof.pdf

ISBN: 978-0803719279