The Paper Doorway
ISBN: 9780060294885
Critical Analysis
The Boogeyman, A Shark in the Park, A Cure for Ugly,
Frankenbunny, and a Skelton’s Hotel……these may sound like strange happenings,
almost too weird to believe, but the fact is they are some of the poems
available in this diverse collection of poems authored by best-selling novelist
Dean Koontz. I must say that the cleverness within the themes of this
collection are childlike and will strike a fancy with any child in elementary
school. Very tastefully written in free verse, this collection is overflowing
with poems that students can relate to, poems that students will feel a part
of, and most importantly poems that students will want to read over and over
again. Each poem has been written in first person, making this collection a
great resource when looking for poems to read aloud or perform. The themes
range from a poem about the Boogeyman, poems about the secret life of Snowmen
in Snowland, and even a poem that has been written all around the subject of
plurals. Overall, this collection is bursting with humor and the zany poems in
this collection will take readers on amazing journeys through rhyme and rhythm
as they zip through the pages of the book. Among the pages of the book are meticulously
detailed illustrations that bring these poems to life. The style presented in
this collection is very similar to that of Shel Silverstein with an added touch
of quirkiness that is sure to ignite the minds of kids as they witness poetry
on such a fun level.
POEM SPOTLIGHT
The Shark in the Park
What a grand time I had in the park.
Well, except for the shark.Flying my kite and throwing my ball…
Will the shark eat us all?
The park has a pond but don’t look there,
Sharks can be anywhere.
Under a rock or high in a tree,
Right behind you—or me.
Sharks are so tricky, sneaky, and sly.
Dad can’t understand why,When watching for sharks, I scan the sky.
They say sharks cannot fly.
But sharks have been here for millions of years,
So it’s not strange to fear
That in so much time they learned some tricks
And perhaps get their kicks
From surprise attacks—ZOOM—diving down
Making not one shark sound.
Much stranger creatures than you and me.
Live out there, wild and free.Look at the duck, which both swims and flies
--or the owl, which is wise
But, though wise, nevertheless eats mice
Instead of something nice.
And, hey, what about the flying fish?
Sharks can’t fly? Oh, you wish!
Dean Koontz
Analysis
Upon first glance I imagined this poem to funny, and while
it was funny, at times it also forced the reader to ponder why certain things
happen in nature and our world. Although the theme of this poem is rather
abstract (sharks flying...how absurd) Koontz definitely hooks readers with a
catchy and appealing topic. This poem exhibits perfectly paired words with end
rhyme on every other line, and is so verseful, that it is almost song-like. The
theme as well as the organization of the stanzas provide the reader with
insight on the mood of the poem, almost frightening at times, until the last
line when Koontz has proved his point and has readers believing the absurdity.
From the very first line Koontz draws readers into this world where sharks
exist in the park by questioning readers and reminding them of just how sneaky
these creatures can be. His use of various synonyms describing their sneakiness
enhances the meaning as well as they rhyme. This poem screams figurative
language with a theme that exhibits personification and several instances of
alliteration such as, "Sharks are so tricky, sneaky, and sly." This
poem also has onomatopoeia as it describes the movement of the shark as,
"ZOOM." While drawing upon the imagination the reader can feel the
abstract meaning even more when Koontz alludes to the mere fact of why owls eat
mice instead of something nice. Whether read aloud, choral read, or even read
silently this poem will evoke personal response from readers as it generates
questions and discussions throughout the reading.
Classroom Connections
This poem is truly absurd, and although students will laugh
at the zany topic, they will also think about the final line, "Sharks
can't fly? Oh you wish! " When sharing this poem with students, a read
aloud would be the perfect fit as the text itself seems to speak to the reader
and guide them in pacing and volume in order to set the mood. I think this poem
would be a great resource on teaching personification, as students explore
other animals that could possibly perform acts that are human like. This poem
would also serve as a great resource to an animal unit, as students might
research the question, Can Sharks Really Fly? As they are researching they
could find out other unique information such as how high sharks jump out of the
water, and look at different species of sharks and their abilities as well.
This poem represents an ABAB rhyming pattern and would be a
great poem to use in a lesson on modeling rhyme. Students could highlight the
end rhyme phrases and compare the words Koontz chose for the poem with other
words that are in the same rhyming families. For example: mice and nice: ice,
twice, dice, lice, advice, precise, and device. The students could seperate the
words into groups based on the number of syllables as well. This would be a
great extension to any type of word family work as well as vocabulary
enhancement.
