Your Own, Sylvia

Bibliography

Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007. 978-0440239680

Review

Your Own, Sylvia portrays a mix of poetry that contains concrete meaning as in the things Sylvia should do to be the perfect wife in “Patriarchy” (Hemphill, pg. 41-42) and abstract meaning with “Demolition” (pg. 24-25) in reference to Sylvia’s sexuality through the images of a car ride. The poems’ meter is steady and allows for the lines to be read in a fluid manner. Most of the poems have a natural, stronger stress on the last syllable of each line.

Hemphill uses rhyme throughout several poems in this book such as “talk…locks…shocks…blocks” in “Golden Girl” (pg. 91) or in “Theodore” (pg. 118-119) with “worth…birth…earth”. The repetition of words at the beginning of each stanza play an affect on the sound of the poem. In “Ski Trip” three stanzas in a row begin with “Sylvia” (Hemphill, pg. 58) which plays on the fact that Dick Norton was fascinated with her.

Figurative language is used to enhance the content of the poems in Your Own, Sylvia and bring more intense meaning delicately. “Sylvia’s skin tans brown as the beach sand…fourteen-karat hair blazes like the noon sky” show two examples of similes used to describe Sylvia through resilient comparisons. Sylvia is personified by Richard Sassoon as an insect who “flap(s) against my web, yet are grateful to be confined” (Hemphill, pgs. 98-99) helping the reader to draw the conclusion that although Sylvia still wants to flap her wings, she is secretly happy to be in love.

The senses are evoked within Your Own, Sylvia through Hemphill’s poetry. In “Demolition” the line of “burnt tire fumes choking her throat” awaken the reader’s sense of smell so that they can picture themselves sitting close to the track of a car race.

Your Own, Sylvia is skillfully written and so wonderfully tells the story of Sylvia Plath’s life. I felt very moved by this book and feel that the overall serious mood are a perfect parallel to Sylvia’s life.

Poetry and Connection

Selfish

Mommy gave Sylvia

a blue cloth book

without words

where Sylvia puts words

each day.

(from Selfish, Hemphill, pg. 17)

Read the entire poem of “Selfish” as a class and have a journal (preferably blue!) as a prop. Give students about five minutes to write in their journal. They are given the freedom to choose their topic of writing or style of writing (i.e. poetry).

Bibliography

Alarcon, Francisco X. Animal Poems of the Iguazu. Illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 2008. 978-0892392254

Review

Animal Poems of the Iguazu has poetry that displays both concrete and abstract meaning. “Better Fun” (Alarcon, p. 22) clearly describes people floating down a river on a tubing boat, while the “River Turtle” depicts the Southern Hemisphere being carried on the turtle’s back as an allusion to old myths that the Earth rode on the back of a turtle.

The poems contain short lines that usually each contain two to five syllables. Many poems have lines with differing lengths of syllables that contrast each other, yet allow the poem to easily flow. Although the poetry in Animal Poems of the Iguazu rarely display rhyme, there is a presence of repetition. An example of this is on pg. 9 in “Hummingbird” when Alarcon uses “flit, flit, flit” or “pick, pick, pick”. This poem also shows the use of the “fl” sound among words such as “flit”, “flowers”, and “flower-picking”.

Similes are in abundance throughout this lovely book of poetry. In ”Red Earth” the poet describes the Earth’s color “like ground dried chiles and peppers…like cinnamon and chocolate powder” (Alarcon, pg. 26). The ants on pg. 21 describe the tourists “like giant ants” creating an interesting contrast between busy humans and these insects (Alarcon). Not only are similes used to enhance these poems, but metaphors are created, as well. Butterflies are painted as “multicolored flowers of the air”, which creates an image of beautiful colors flowing through the sky (Alarcon, pg. 16).

Sense imagery is crucial to Alarcon’s poems in depicting the Iguazu clearly. Foods are used to describe animals such as the “papaya slices” for a toucan’s beak (Alarcon, pg. 6) and “cinnamon and chocolate powder” to describe the earth’s soil (pg. 26). Sound is an intense and startling element in “What a Pest!” when helicopters are described as “big mosquitos” by nesting birds (Alarcon, pg. 20). This puts human like objects into the perspective of an animal in a rainforest, as a huge mosquito would be quite annoying and terrifying to a human.

The poetry in this book truly creates an impact on the reader. The tone is light and cheerful when introducing many animals, but in the middle of the book the mood is overshadowed by the affects of humans on these animals’ habitats. The last few poems move away from animals’ opinions of humans in the Iguazu to more meaningful and powerful poems. I believe this book of poetry does a phenomenal job of bringing awareness to the Iguazu National Park and allowing people to understand and appreciate its natural beauty.

Poetry and Connection

Butterflies

We are

the multicolored

flowers of the air

(Alarcon, p. 16)

Take different colors of tissue paper. Fold in half, draw one side of the butterfly and cut it out. Once each child has a butterfly, have groups recite the poem and at the end toss their butterflies in the air and watch them flutter to the ground. Each group will take a turn reciting the poem and tossing their butterflies.

All the Small Poems and Fourteen More

Bibliography

Worth, Valerie. All The Small Poems and Fourteen More. Illus. by Natalie Babbitt. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. 978-0374403454

Review

This collection of poems by Valerie Worth is exquisite and well composed. Most of the poems have concrete meanings with short, distinct lines. Most lines have only two, three or four words on them.

Sounds are used to create the right tone such as rhyme and repetition. On page 25, Worth uses rhyme in "tick or tock. Poor clock." to create the rhythmical sound of a clock in the reader. Repetition in "Mice" with words such as "places in places" or "world inside the wide world" shows how small mice are and that a small space within a room is a room in itself for an animal of such small stature.

Many of the poems in this collection use personification to bring inanimate objects to life. For example, on page 95 Worth creates a bell with a tongue that can sing or on page 102 a mushroom is like a human skeleton with a "soft skull" and "frail ribs" that float above the ground.

Sense imagery is an important part of making these poems full of energy and engaging to the reader. Sounds such as "grass whispers" (Worth, pg. 41), the "crunching up" of raw carrots (Worth, pg. 22), or the "poured clicking" of marbles (Worth, pg. 23) bring about a realistic environment for the audience. In "Marbles" readers feel that they can touch the objects in their hands as they read that they are "hard, glossy, glassy, cold" (Worth, pg. 23).

These poems are simple and yet hold so much meaning. With a light-hearted mood, this collection of poetry uplifts the soul and warms the heart.

Poetry & Connection

Coins

Coins are pleasant

To the hand:

Neat circles, smooth,

A little heavy.

They feel as if

They are worth something.

I would give each child a coin to hold in their hand. Tell students to move it around in their hand and think about how it feels. Then as each child is holding his/her own coin, read the poem "Coins". After, do a choral reading of the poem together as a class.

If Not For The Cat

Bibliography

Prelutsky, Jack. If Not for the Cat. Illus. by Ted Rand. China: Greenwillow Books, 2004. 978-0060596774

Review

"If Not for the Cat" is a collection of seventeen haiku that describe different animals. A combination of concrete and abstract meanings are given through these poems. Each haiku is seventeen syllables with alternating five, seven, and five meters on three lines.

Aspects of sound are crucial to the creation of these poems. Assonance is used by repeating a long "u" sound in the jellyfish haiku with "translucent...undulate, undulate" (Prelutsky, p. 11), as well as on pg. 19 with "raucously...caw...straw". Alliteration is an important characteristic of sound in these poems such as in "wingless we won't" (Prelutsky, p.20) or "nastartium's nectar" (Prelutsky, p. 9). Though the lines in the haiku do not rhyme, several words within the poems do show rhyme such as "sing...wings" (Prelutsky, p. 9) and "snack...back...crack" on page 20. Clear repetition brings meaning to the haiku about sloths with "I am" (Prelutsky, p. 12) and ants using "we are" (Prelutsky, p. 27).

Figurative language also plays a significant role in developing descriptive and exciting poems. "Sing with my wings" (Prelutsky, p. 9) is an example of personification as the hummingbird's wings are given a human characteristic. The parrot's description of "nothing at all to say...I can't stop talking" parallel opposites against each other.

Visual imagery is used by Prelutsky with several animals such as "gaudily feathered" on page 24 or "translucent" (pg. 11). In order for readers to feel they are really there and can touch the skin of the animals descriptive words are used like "gelatinously" (Prelutsky, pg. 11) and "wrinkled husks" (Prelutsky, pg. 15).

The emotional impact of this collection changes based on the animal and individual haiku. At times the reader feels tired and slow while reading about a sloth, busy and repetitive when learning about ants, or fearful when reading about the rattlesnake. Prelutsky does a fantastic job of describing these animals and delicately but purposefully putting them in the form of haiku.

Poetry & Connection

Crow

Raucously we caw.

Your straw men do not fool us.

We burgle your corn.

Because each haiku in this collection does not have a title included on the page itself, I would (without showing the pictures) read the poem aloud to the students and have them draw or write the animal they think the poem is describing. After finishing, students can justify with reasons why they think it is the animal they chose. After discussion, I would reveal the picture to the students.

As a follow-up, I would read several other of the poems from the collection and allow students to guess which animal it is describing.

Love That Dog

Bibliography

Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. 978-0060292874

Review

"Love That Dog" is a novel written in verse that displays concrete meanings through its words. A young boy who is apprehensive towards poetry discovers its depth and that it isn't something intended only for girls. The meter in which the verse is read is through alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. It has a steady pattern that allows for the reader to flow through the novel quite rapidly.

Sound is an important part of "Love That Dog" in that the sound keeps it interesting and alive. Many words are repeated adjacent to each other such as "walk-walk-walking" (Creech, p. 69) or "wag-wag-wagging" (Creech, p. 68).Real sounds through onomatopeia are vivid and awaken the senses. Examples of tehse are seen throughout the novel with "pop-pop-popping" (Creech, p. 35) or the "taptaptaptaptap" (Creech, p. 67) of fingers on a keyboard. Interesting sounds inside of words that rhyme are revealed that create a fun sense of style, for example, "shaggy straggly paws" (Creech, p. 46) is an intriguing way to describe the dogs paws.

Figurative language brings unique ways of desribing events or feelings through the young boy. Creech personifies the spell checker as a "miracle little brain" on pg. 67 and reveals similes such as "like a squashed pea" (p. 64) and "fingers...as fast as my brain" (p. 67). Imagery through the senses is displayed on pg. 52 with the words "small" being literally smaller than the other words around it. Through this small gesture, the author truly creates an image in the reader of smaller poems and objects.

The tone fluctuates in "Love That Dog". At times it is anxious and nervous as the boy is scared of what students will think of his poetry. Later, acceptance is in the air as he beings to accept his poetry as being "good". On page 72 the tone becomes seriously and sad as the author reveals that the boy's dog was killed by a car, and the reader starts reflecting on the first poem the boy wrote in class. We realize there was meaning behind that poem about a truck, but he wasn't open to sharing about his dog being was actually killed by this truck. The story concludes with excitement and relief as Walter Dean Myers successfully visits the boy's school.

Poetry & Connection

"My Yellow Dog: by Jack" (Creech, pg. 37)

I would have each student choose an obect or something that is important to them. I would give the students several minutes to close their eyes and just think about that obejct. Then I would have students start writing sensory words about the object they chose. After students have had time to complete their descriptive words, I would now show "My Yellow Dog" on a big sheet of butcher paper. After giving the students a bit of time to look it over, discover the shape of the dog, and read the poem, we would discuss how the author used the words of their poem to create a shape.

Students would then get the opportunity to create shape poems from the words they had chosen about their object.

Yum! іmmmm! іQué rico!

Bibliography

Mora, Pat. Yum! іmmmm! іQué rico!: Americas’ Sproutings. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007. 978-1584302711

Review

The poems presented by Pat Mora in Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Que rico! Americas' Sproutings keep a consistent meter with each haiku poem containing its seventeen syllables. Sound is an important element and help bring the poems to life. Examples of alliteration in “Tomato” with “squirts seedy...splatter” and assonance in “Peanut” by using “nutty...jelly...gooey party” display the vibrant affect sound has on each poem.

A treat for all readers is how Pat Mora uses personification in “Pineapple” to transform the fruit into a playful person with a “stiff, spiky hat” and “thick prickly skin”. Metaphors are used in this anthology as a pumpkin is painted as autumn's orange face. An instance of onomatopoeia is seen in “Cranberry” with a nod towards hearing sense imagery using “POPS!”.

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Que rico! explodes with sense imagery focusing on the senses of smell, taste, and touch. The act of smelling and tasting are brought out in most of the haikus using words such as “syrupy”, “juicy”, “lick”, and “smell grits, tortillas, corn bread”. “Melts on your tongue” in “Chocolate” is the perfect example of how the sense of touch is awakened through Mora's poems.

Pat Mora's poems bring about a simple and carefree tone with a cheerful mood. This collection of poems is supported with additional information pertaining to the origin of the foods which is noted in smaller print alongside each haiku. A letter from the author is also included at the end which wraps up the collection and helps bring meaning to the poems.

Poem & Connection

Pumpkin

Under round luna,

Scattered tumblings down the rows,

Autumn’s orange face.

(Mora, pg. 27)

Reading “Pumpkin” during the fall would be a great introduction to talking about how pumpkins are grown and the time of year that many plants are harvested. Have the students (with adult help) carve a pumpkin and learn about the parts of the pumpkin. Students can count and divide seeds into equal groups or even follow a simple recipe to roast pumpkin seeds while having to use cooking measurements.

Bing Bang Boing

Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. Bing Bang Boing. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994. 978-0152058609

Review

Douglas Florian parallels opposing subjects for a larger impact for example placing “The Thin Man” and “The Fat Man” on adjacent pages. The rhythm for most poems is steady such as the bouncing words on either side of the page in “Ping-Pong Poem” and the reference to the metronome.

Sounds are an important part of Florian's poetry with the display of consonance in “I Friz, I Froze” on pg. 78 using “earz”, “ize”, “noze”, “toze”, and “kneez”. Rhyming in “Lost Head” brings a lightness to the words, with “head” and “instead” or “all” and “basketball”. On page 113 the poem “Rain Check” uses clear and distinct alliteration such as “My sister Sarah's Sixth birthday”.

Personification is seen throughout Florian's poems and these instances are a unique way of creating entertaining literature that comes alive through the reader.”Cars are Creatures” on pg. 111 personifies the car as an animal as it is seen “guzzling gas, growling”, and sleeping when parked. Other poems use comparisons like similes to create vivid images for the audience. “It's as wrinkled as a rhino” and “It's as hairy as a hound” from “The Monster in My Mirror” helps to stimulate visual imagery in the reader.

Other imagery is seen throughout “Bing, Bang, Boing” such as touch in “It's Hot! It's Hot!” or in juxtaposition of this, “I Friz, I Froze”. When writing about eating beetles, lizards, and dragons in “Diet Riot”, Douglas Florian brings out the sense of sound by writing “Crunch Crunch Crunch.” It completely brings the poem full circle and gives the reader an icky feeling but also a bit of a grin. The emotional impact of this set of poems is lighthearted, silly, and fun. A wonderful book of poetry for all readers of any age.

Poem & Connection

My Monster

I saw a monster

Ghastly and green.

I saw a monster

Nasty and mean.

I saw a monster,

A horrible creature.

That’s no monster –

That’s my teacher!

(Florian, p. 132)

This poem could be used on the first day or week of school as it brings comic relief to those that may have been worrisome about starting a new school year or having a different teacher. Students could discuss fears of starting school and meeting their teacher and what the first day was truly like compared to their fears.