Poetry Written by Young Adults: Things I Have to Tell You

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Franco, Betsy. 2001. Things I have to tell you. Ill. by Nina Nickles. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763610357

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In Things I Have to Tell You, Betsy Franco compiles prose and poetry written by teenage girls expressing very real and raw emotions: fear, passion, gratitude, and frustration, to name a few. Each girl’s voice has a distinguishing quality evidenced in the vocabulary, rhythm, and tone. A handful of poems such as “Secrets” and “A Bad Hair Day” include rhyme. The majority of the poems are free verse, allowing the writers’ feelings and ideas to freely flow.

Considering the amateur status of the writers, some of the poets have a knack for using figurative language and unique style. The poem “Clouds Rolling In” is a beautifully constructed metaphor for fighting. “My Heart Is In My Throat” and “The Consequence of Loving Me” are two examples of poems that include a repetitious phrase—techniques not typically exhibited by novice poets.

When reading poems such as “I’m Sayin’” and “Be Perfect,” the reader can hear the teens’ voices speaking the words with their own personal passion.  Regardless who is reading this collection, the reader will appreciate the authors’ forms and careful selection of phrasing.

Because teenage girls wrote the poems about issues real girls face, this collection will appeal to teenage girls. As I read through the book, I couldn’t help thinking how a counselor could use the writings to address problems girls must deal with as a way to reassure young women that they are not alone in their struggle. The openness of the poems will strike familiar chords with readers.

For anyone looking to understand the teenage girls’ mind, this collection nails it! Although the authors, moods, and styles vary, the quality of the poems does not. Each poem does an astounding job of articulating the writers’ true emotions.

A handful of the poems in this collection first appeared in a young adult publication called YO!.  Another poem can be found in Franco’s book The Secret Life of Words.

A contributing factor to the realness of the book is found in the black and white candid photographs taken by Nina Nickles. One large photograph is assigned to each of the poem or prose writings. As Nickles explains in her preface, the photos were not intentionally paired to illustrate a specific piece. However, the combinations nicely complement one another.

For easy access to a specific piece, Franco includes a table of contents with page numbers. The poems do not seem to appear in any particular order, such as by author, topic, length, etc. The mixture of moods takes readers on the roller coaster ride of adolescent girls’ lives. The authors should be commended on their honesty and sincerity as well as their proficient use of language.

POETRY SPOTLIGHT

 “Clouds Rolling In”, p. 41

By Melissa Leigh Davis, age 14

my friend and i

got caught in a storm

with tears for rain,

and shouts for thunder,

lightning fists

lashing out.

i pause,

puzzled.

we fight all the time,

don’t know why.

i want to ask

but am afraid of the reason.

it’s my fault

(always is).

he says so.

he’s never wrong.

uses this weather to prove it.

i am afraid of lightning.

don’t let it strike me again

                              again

                              again

i am the sun

that these black clouds cover up.

why won’t they go away

and let me shine for once?

i’m afraid of storms.

Because this poem is the cry of so many teenagers and to do the piece justice, a group of girls ought to read the poem—one voice for each phrase. The punctuation serves as a stopping point for each reader. To add to the metaphor, play thunderstorm sounds in the background.

To follow up with this emotional poem, allow students to brainstorm events that cause them some spike in emotion—whether an emotional high or low. Examples of such events could include being recognized for a great accomplishment, losing a loved one, finally getting the guy, or being pushed away from friends. 

Students will compare this event to an event in nature (as this poem compared fighting to a storm). Events could be droughts, spring rain showers, hurricanes, blizzards, cool autumn days, etc. Encourage students to share their feelings through verse about a specific event using an occurrence in nature as a metaphor. Allow students who volunteer to share their compositions.