Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Poetic Form: A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Janeczko, Paul B. 2001. A poke in the I: A collection of concrete poems. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978076362376

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Looking for a new way to hook reluctant readers? The concrete poems assembled by poet Paul B. Janeczko in A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems do not conform to readers’ typical view of poetry. Rather than neat, clean lines with numerous words, some of these concrete poems are a single word. Instead of the meaning coming from only the words, most of the poems found in this collection show meaning through the type on the page: the size, arrangement, and even shape.

“A Seeing Poem” by Robert Froman (p.2) uses both words and shape to convey meaning. The poem, shaped as a light bulb complete with filament, shows and tells about the little light bulb that goes off when one has an idea or have figured something out.

Some of these poems take a moment to figure out, especially if they include the element of sound. For example, “Visual Soundpoem” by Edwin Morgan (p.3) is simply “go ng!” When looking at it, this seems odd; however, after realizing it is a sound poem, the reader understands. This type of poem begs to be read aloud.

Janeczko warns readers in an editor’s note, however, that some of these poems are difficult to read aloud as they were designed to be seen. Such poems include “Acrobat” by Ian Hamilton Finlay (p.29) and “Crickets” by Aram Saroyan (p. 21). The manipulation of letters creates a unique looking poemone that will encourage readers to write their own single-word concrete poems.

Not all poems in this collection are single-word poems. Many sound like a “typical” poemwith the added bonus of shape! “Giraffe” by Maureen W. Armour (p.28) is a playful poem about giraffes in the shape of the animal! “Swan and Shadow” by John Hollander (p. 24) is a lovely poem about a swan’s shadow cast upon the water. The text is typed out in the shape of the swan, the water’s horizon line, and the shadow. The splendor and complexity of the shape add to the beautiful words penned by Hollander.

Again defying the laws of traditional poetry, a handful of poems read in ways other than from top to bottom. “Sky Day Dream” by Robert Froman (p.20) and “The Salmon” by Douglas Florian (p.22) begin in what looks like the last line. Actually the lines move from the bottom of the page to the top. In both poems, the line arrangement complements the poems’ meanings.

The concrete poems found in A Poke in the I naturally appeal to young readers. The novelty of each poem will hold the reader’s attention. Each page contains a new topic, a new shape, a new way to express meaning! So many of the topics are relatable to children: popsicles, balloons, and skipping rope. The clever ways to present poems (as described in preceding paragraphs) will aid readers’ perception of poetry. While poetry is traditionally presented as an auditory literature, these poems will extend readers’ understanding of poetry with added visual elements.

Most of these concrete poems are easy to understand. As mentioned with “Visual Soundpoem”, some poems look odd and need to be read aloud. A few poems are so visually complex that a single reading will not suffice. (See “Forsythia” by Mary Ellen Solt [p.25].) The imagination included in each concrete poem will guide students to view poetry in a different light and hopefully encourage reluctant readers and writers to try their hand at creating a concrete poem.

The poets featured in this collection are mostly well-known, well-established poets. The numerous authors showcased in the book serves as a great resource for introducing readers to new-to-them poets.

The book does not appear to be arranged in an exact order. Poems with similar topics are grouped together: fish poems are together; poems about cold treats are paired up. However, Janeczko does not create any divisions indicating a particular grouping.

The illustrations created by Chris Raschka (also a featured poet) are uniforma combination of ink and torn paper art. Each illustration is unique to each poem but cohesive to the overall collection. Much added illustration is unnecessary since the poems naturally display their own art.

In order to quickly locate a particular poem, a table of contents (in the shape of a column) is included in the front. Listed is the title of the poem, author, and page number. Tables of content are common in many collections. However, not all of them include the author’s name. I find this helpful when the need arises to exhibit a single poet or a group of poets. Also helpful, each poem’s title and author are listed on the corner of the page. This makes thumbing through the book to locate a poem a bit easier.

A Poke in the I will challenge readers’ perceptions about the “rules” of poetry and expose them to a whole new and more playful world of words!

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

“Balloon” by Colleen Thibaudeau


Display the poem “Balloon” on a document projector or overhead. Slowly read the poem to the students as they study the shape. Allow them time to reread it silently. Then ask the whole group to read the poem in unison. To add another element of fun oral reading, reread it in rounds, dividing kids into three groups. Use the beginning “as” of the second simile as the starting point for echoing groups.

Allow students to share how the shape of this poem adds value to the words used to describe the balloon.

As a follow-up activity, students will create their own shape poem. Either allow students to select their own topic or let them draw from a basket topics such as airplane, duck, lollipop, swing, hairbrush, or truck.

As a pre-writing brain-stretcher, students will list characteristics of their item in a web such as the one below.



A rough draft poem can be written in traditional lines or in the shape of the topic. (The latter is recommended as students may choose to add, delete, or substitute words that aid in constructing the poem’s shape.)

Once the rough draft is complete, students will present their final poem on cardstock with the option of adding color or illustrations. Display these poems in the library for other readers to view!

(“Balloon” was retyped and Pre-Writing Web was created by Chrissy Adkins.)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Brand New Poetry: Out of This World


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sklansky, Amy E. 2012. Out of this world: Poems and facts about
           space. Ill. by Stacey Schuett. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 
           9780375864599

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Amy E. Sklansky’s brand new book Out of This World: Poems and Facts About Space will serve dual purposes: a creative array of space poems and fantastic factual information about celestial bodies. Each poem about an object relating to space is accompanied with facts about the respective object. Science teachers will love this book! (I certainly do!)

Sklansky writes using a variety of poetic forms. “Left Behind” and “Comet” are haiku. A description of the moon is written in acrostic form (“Moon”). “Sun” describes our closest star in a quatrain. Most of the poems follow some sort of rhyme scheme. In a few poems, the text is manipulated to reflect the meaning of lines. “After Blastoff” describes how Earth appears to decrease in size through stair-stepped lines listing balls in descending size. Another fun example is “Zero Gravity” which turns text upside down for the final line of each stanza.

The variety of poem types and lengths keeps the reader’s attention and prevents visual monotony.  The appealing topic of space interests children and the relatively short lengths with have children devouring these poems. All of the poems include specific elements of space facts. In addition to the poems, Sklansky includes facts about the poem’s topic. Facts include the $10 million cost of a space suit, how astronauts acclimate to 0 g-forces, the make-up and temperatures of the planets, and why we are able to see shooting “stars” (meteoroids).

Science teachers (and other educators) will appreciate the content area vocabulary included some in the poems but heavily in the sidebar facts. The simple poems and more substantial information will stimulate curiosity in readers, encouraging further research.

The book begins with poems organized in a sequential order as a shuttle’s launch is detailed. The remainder of the book highlights individual celestial features such as the moon, satellites, and comets. Wonderfully detailed illustrations accompany each poem, adding depth to its meaning. As mentioned before, Sklansky arranges the poems in a variety of ways from page to page. One slightly negative aspect of this book is the lack of access features. The book does not contain a table of contents, index, or even page numbers. Referring to and quickly accessing individual poems is made a bit more difficult.

Sklansky, while not yet a household name, has been on the poetry scene for at least a decade. However, the enjoyable poetry and fascinating facts found in Out of This World is sure to put her on the map!

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

“Packing for the Moon”

Neil Armstrong packed
            music recorded by his wife
            a propeller fragment from
                the Wright brothers’ flyer
            mint Life Savers
            and a comb.

Buzz Aldrin packed
            his mother’s lucky charm bracelet
            four gold olive branches
            a vial of wine
            and a wafer.

Michael Collins packed
            poems and prayers
            coins, cuff links, tiepins, rings
            and a small lucky charm holding
                fifty tiny ivory elephants.

What
            would you pack?


Introduce “Packing for the Moon” by reading the poem aloud once. Then choose 3 readers to reread the poem. Assign one astronaut’s stanza to each reader. The last line will be read in unison by the three voices.

Read the fact from the book to explain what a PPK is and why each astronaut chose his specific items.

Personal Preference Kit (PPK)

Distribute to each student a small box (about the size of a Girl Scout cookie box). Ask students to think about what they would pack in their own PPK. (A great idea would be to display your own PPK and explain the significance of each item.)

Students will make a list of the items they would include along with an explanation or justification for the inclusion of each item. (If possible, allow students to place the items in the box). Use paper to cover the box, and allow students to decorate it with a PPK object or space-related illustration.

Use a gallery walk for students to present their kits and view others’ kits. 

Thursday, February 16, 2012

NCTE Award Poetry: A Pocketful of Poems


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2001. A pocketful of poems. Ill. by Javaka Steptoe. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0780395938683

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Harlem-born Nikki Grimes, the 2006 NCTE Poetry Award Recipient, presents A Pocketful of Poems, a collection of free verse and haiku poems. The poems, inspired by a single word taken from Tiana’s “pocket”, describe urban life in Harlem throughout the year.  Each word features two poemsone in free verse, the other haiku.

Grimes’ haiku follow the rules for syllabication, creating the 5-7-5 rhythms. The free verse poems vary in length although none is longer than ten lines.  Regardless of the form, Grimes paints beautiful pictures with her words. Tiana’s word “Harlem” captures the city on July 4th in haiku: “fireworks rainbow the night with / bursts of dazzling light” (p.17). Also describing a summer event in “Hot”, Tiana goes to “the water fountain where my / face goes for a swim” (p.15). Grimes uses ordinary words to produce magnificent language illustrating common events.

Children will appreciate the brevity of the poems especially since Grimes packs an immense amount of detail into so few lines and syllables. Young readers will relate to ordinary topics such as the moon, spring, angels, pumpkins, and snow. Even if the reader is unfamiliar with urban life, Grimes’ words and Steptoe’s illustrations provide a crystal-clear depiction of Tiana’s point of view. The free verse “Harlem” portrays the city as “a restless word” that “kicks up its black heels / day and night.” The two poems expand the reader’s impression of Harlem and enrich the mind with dual techniques of writing in verse.

The poems tell of various occasions throughout the year, which stimulate emotions associated with special events. For example, Tiana savors the “last sip of summer” (“Homer”, p. 20), shares her joy of pumpkin carving in the fall (“Pumpkin, p. 22), and the delight that comes from gifts (“Gift”, p. 28). Without being overly sentimental, Grimes captures Tiana’s spirit at these important times, so elegantly accounted with modest words.

Each poem’s layout holds some element of uniqueness. Within the free verse poems, the title word is in capital letters. In the poem “Caterpillar” (p.18), the letters take the shape of the creature. Some of the haiku poems’ text varies in line orientation. The type aligns with raindrops in the haiku “Shower” (p. 9). The haiku “Gift” (p. 29) is typed on a gift tag. “Harlem” lines are bursts of light from fireworks. These special features add charm to the already delightful poems.

Equally captivating are Steptoe’s detailed collages made from a range of materials that include string, paperclips, faucet handles, painted toothpicks, felt, and hand-shaped alphabet letters. Rather than only providing a background to the page, the illustrations are active participants in the poems. The torn paper stream in “Hot” acts as a mount for the haiku.  In the spirit of words in pockets, “Shower” (the free verse poem) is typed onto a piece of denim shaped like a pocket. The arrangement of text and collage draw the reader’s eyes to both the lyrical words and corresponding illustration.

Grimes’ wonderful collection of poems can be shared individually in connection with one specific area of study or all together for a year-round celebration of words!

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

“Shower”
(Free verse)

This word wets my pocket.
I have to stay indoors
until my blue jeans dry.
SHOWER is a clean word
soap and water for the sky.

(Haiku)

April showers scrub
the air. No wonder I can
run now. I can breathe!

To introduce the pair of poems (and the entire book), dramatically pull out from your pocket and randomly arrange magnetic alphabet letters on a cookie sheet (or other large metal surface). Position the letters to spell a word (preferably a noun) such as flower, book, or cloud. Ask students to name items, actions, or feelings associated with that word. Rearrange the letters to spell “shower.”  Ask students for related words.

Explain that you will read two poems with two forms (free verse and haiku) that were inspired by the word “shower.” Read the free verse poem aloud, slowly, without displaying the page from the text. Repeat the free verse poem to allow the words to soak in.

Switch gears from free verse to a poem that follows a patternhaiku. Read the haiku once, slowly. Before rereading the haiku, explain the syllable pattern. Display the poem so students can count the syllables for each line on their fingers. Repeated readings may be required.

Nikki Grimes, in her author’s note, encourages readers to read and attempt writing haiku. Allow students time for brainstorming and sharing of ideas for their haiku. As students begin to write their haiku, highlight how many of Grimes’ haiku lines do not complete a thought in one line but carry it over to the next line. (Many children limit themselves to completing a thought in a single line. This can also restrict their choice of words resulting in less expressive work.)

In addition to writing haiku, students can generate a complementary collage similar to those Steptoe created. Provide various items and ask the children to collect assorted objects to share.

Allow students to present their haiku and display their “Pocketful of Words Collage and Haiku Combo” in the library!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Douglas Florian's Beast Feast


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas. 1994. Beast feast. Orlando, FL: Voyager Books. ISBN 0152017372

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Douglas Florian’s collection of creature poems, Beast Feast, beautifully describes animals great and small, from caterpillars to camels, scattered throughout nature. Varied in length, each poem provides factual information laced with Florian’s signature spunk.

The lively rhythm of the poems encourages readers to chant the verses aloud over and over again. AABB or ABAB rhyme schemes assist with the musicality of the poems. Florian utilizes sound devices such as this alliteration found in “The Bat” (p.38): “All night this mobile mammal mugs / A myriad of flying bugs.” While the terms accurately describe the bat, the sound imagery makes the poem more enjoyable!

While these poems are designed as read-alouds, Florian manipulates the font size, letter orientation, and spacing of the printed text to create a bit of uniqueness in several poems. For example, when describing the grasshopper’s eyes, the word “oversized” (p. 30), is typed in larger font for added emphasis. Also, the word “spew” (p.22) in “The Whale” varies the alignment of letters to represent the action described. Those small extra features combined form poems that serve dual purposes of entertaining and educating the reader.

Most young readers enjoy animal tales. Beast Feast is no different! If the peppy poems alone do not draw in readers, Florian’s watercolor paintings will capture their browsing eyes. These interesting creature descriptions cover a multitude of animalsfrom the common ant to an unusual bird called a kiwi. Poems about both the well-known and unfamiliar animals will enrich the reader’s knowledge of the animal kingdom.

Florian uses language in innovative ways, including clever comparisons: in “The Lobster”, the author compares the red crustacean to “an underwater / Mobster” (p.14).  He also changes up the spelling of words in “The Rhea” (p.18) to play on the root of the words “really” (“rheally”) and rearranged (“rhearranged”). Simple twists like these set Florian’s poems apart from dull expository texts.

Florian’s quality poetry includes humorous moments placed lyrically beside factual information. Various points of view help readers examine the creatures in a different light, maybe even clearing up misconceptions. “The Pigeon” (p.25) focuses on positive aspects of what is thought to be an annoying bird. “The Kiwi” (p.46) describes the lesser-known flightless bird and questions its classification as a bird based on its inherited traits. These examples and others call into question what readers already know about the subjects as well as reinforce prior knowledge.

The poems are ordered randomly although a table of contents allows for easy access. Each page layout is devoted to one poem with accompanying watercolor illustration. Florian’s witty paintings complement the playful nature of the poems.

After introducing such intriguing animal poetry, be prepared with additional animal information for those inquisitive readers who need to know more! Florian’s verses will surely ignite curiosity in the minds of the readers.

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

“The Sloth”

Up in a tree
The shaggy sloth
Is hanging by its claws.
It doesn’t like to move at all.
It only likes to
p   a   u   s   e.


Introduce “The Sloth” by displaying Florian’s painting and the poem on a document projector. Read the poem aloud to students in a natural voice. Then repeat the poem varying your tone by drawing out the last line.

Direct student’s attention to the white space the author includes between the letters. Discuss how the author indicates the proper way to read the poem with the use of white space rather than giving direct instruction.

Give students time to practice reading “The Sloth” aloud. Come together for a choral reading, emphasizing (and even dramatizing) “pause” in line 6.

As a way to incorporate the poems in Beast Feast with a science study of animals, behavioral characteristics, or inherited traits, students will create two-sided bookmarks highlighting one animal featured in the collection. One side will showcase the Florian poem (accompanied with a brief citation) and an original watercolor painting of the animal. The back side will include informative facts about the animal garnered from further research.

Laminate and display the watercolor bookmarks in the library near the circulation desk. (Children may even wish to distribute their bookmarks to library users.)