MOD 4: Social Studies Poetry

Bibliographic Data and ISBN

Hemphill, Stephanie. 2010. Wicked Girls: a Novel of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN: 9780061853289

Summary

Using free verse three afflicted young women narrate their perspective of the Salem Witch Trials.

Critical Analysis

Layout

A table of contents is not listed. Instead this book begins with descriptions of each of the afflicted girls. Each poem has a title in all caps and below it lists the girl’s name and age in italics.

BAG OF WOOL

Mercy Lewis, 17

The poems are told from four perspectives: a narrator, Ann Putnam Jr., Margaret Wolcott, and Mercy Lewis. Pages of the poems by the narrator are embellished with what looks like a stamp of swirling vines. They have titles like the other poems, but instead of a girls name in italics underneath each title there is a date. The poems are listed in chronological order. Storytellers are often repeated since there are multiple poems from each one listed back to back.

In addition to the print version I had the chance to listen to the audio. A different voice actor represents each role. The narrator crowed like an elderly woman telling a ghost story. Ann Putnam Jr. enunciated her words like a young preteen. Mercy Lewis spoke like a dignified woman. Margaret Wolcott sounded like a typical teenage girl. I felt like I could hear her roll her eyes.

The book concludes with several sections. The first section contains the real stories of the characters that appeared in the book, over twenty paragraphs. This was the most fascinating part of the book for me. Not only was this section informational, but I enjoyed linking the facts with the fictional account. I was not as impressed as I hoped to be reading the poetry. After finding out how much research went into this story, though, I changed my mind about its quality. An author’s note talks about linking the fiction with the documented facts and how the story of the girls came to be. Hemphill then lists some her resources in the last pages inviting readers to look into this historical event.

Poetic Elements

The poems are told in the type of language people used in the time around 1692. Characters frequently ask, “How fare ye?” Readers will find vocabulary like thee and thou amongst many other phrases not typical of contemporary speech.

Like many verse novels the imagery is strong. Hemphill often uses metaphor to bring her characters’ emotions to light:

I feel as though I’ve been thrown

to an ocean of ice floes,

the weather so flays my skin

and gnaws on my bones.

(Hemphill, p. 4)

And in the poem “Ingersoll’s Ordinary” Hemphill paints the picture of the townsfolk’s interest in accusing witches:

Ingersoll’s serves

a hearty stew

of witch fever.

(Hemphill, p69)

Hemphill invokes all the senses to create scenes of the girls during their fits. The girls are afraid, jealous and very lonely.

I scream, for the pain

crashes over my friends face

like a tidal wave,

but she cannot make noise;

barely can she make breath.

(Hemphill, p. 77)

Appeal

Like most novels in verse, “Wicked Girls” is appealing in it’s brevity. Readers will also enjoy the heavy dialogue. Female readers may be especially interested because the book is entirely from the female perspective. Female readers often enjoy major themes like beauty, romance, and friendship.

While this may not recount familiar childhood experiences for most readers, I believe the story is somewhat relatable. These teen girls experience many of the same emotions girls do today. Ann seeks friendship with anyone who will pay attention to her. Margaret spends much of the book jealous of Mercy. These young women grew up in a different period when children grew up sooner and had more chores. They also grew up in a time when women did not have nearly as many rights as we do today. It would great to discuss switching places with the girls and talking about the time in which they lived.

Margaret’s sexual relationship with Isaac may affect the appeal for some readers. They do have more than one sexual encounter in the book. Margaret felt guilty and ashamed for partaking. However it is clear that she was taken advantage of. Some readers may feel like they are not ready to read about these sorts of topics.

Some readers may find it too challenging to understand the language of the period. In guided reading this can also be taken as a good learning experience. I would take the quote, “That bonnet be right smart” (Hemphill, p. 82) and discuss its meaning.

Overall Quality

Poems are consistent in quality. It is the characters voice though, that are the most consistent. Each girl is distinctive. Mercy is strong and firm, yet patient and nurturing. Ann is young, naïve, and bossy. She is hungry for attention. Margaret is traditional and judgmental. She is focused on status. Even though each voice has a distinctive point of view you can still see each character change throughout the story. Once Mercy knows that she has power she starts to abuse it. She fakes affliction to punish those who have wronged others. Ann becomes increasingly manipulative once she believes the other girls in the group are going to leave. She tries to force them to stay. These were once quiet girls. Then they became power hungry.

The purpose of “Wicked Girls” is to humanize the history of the Salem Witch Trials. Hemphill fictionalizes a new perspective, that of the young accusers. As a reader it is scandalous to find that teenage girls controlled the fate of innocent people. Many times adults manipulated the girls in order to falsely accuse others. Though fictionalized it is hard to discern what was real and what wasn’t. We may never know all the facts, as much from this time was not documented.

Poems represent the various moods of our protagonists. They shift from fear to powerful to jealousy and shame. Their emotions are as volatile as those of teens of today. It was uncomforting to see how heartless they were when killing the innocent. I was especially distraught by Margaret’s reaction to Elizabeth’s demise. The girls were also cruel to Susanna about her weight. I believe the topic of bullying would be an important conversation to have with readers in a book club.

Final Analysis

Although I feel that Hemphill trivializes the female experience of those times, and reduces it to simple subordination her story is thoroughly researched. Her timelines for each character compares well to her information on the Salem Witch Trials that the reader can almost believe there is truth to this story, even the matter of whether or not the girls were ever truly afflicted. I am still on the fence about this book. I think if I were to conduct a book club using it I would want to have a conversation about the state of womankind in this period. Some audiences are not comfortable with witchcraft, but the book has merit as a well-research piece of historical fiction.

Featured Poem/Excerpt

An Excerpt from “A Real Beauty”

Margaret Walcott 17

Ann says, “Mercy can read and write.

And she has been a servant

since she was only five.

Mercy helps me with my lessons.”

Ann offers this to me

like it be flavored sugarcane.

“She’ll not make a goodwife

with all that reading and such.

‘Tis against the Lord’s way.”

I nod, but as soon as she turns her back

I grab the parchment paper

and slip it into the pocket of my new skirt.

Maybe if I look at it enough, I’ll figure

how to read it.

Poem Connections

I would use this excerpt as a starting point for a discussion about what the life of a young woman would be like in those times. Would one be happy then if she had no idea about her life as it is now? What kinds of feelings do us readers have when we hear certain lines of this poem? I would encourage matching opinions to facts and hope it would spark the curiosity for teens to do their own research on the Salem Witch Trials.

Harper Collins teaching guide: http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/ReadingGuides/0061853283.pdf

Hemphill lists several sources after the author’s note that readers can use in conjunction with finding more resources in the library such as the database, U.S. History In Context.

MOD 3: Novel In Verse

Bibliographic Data

Grimes, Nikki. 2013. Words With Wings. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Wordsong, an Imprint of Highlights. ISBN: 9781590789858

Summary

Gabby’s daydreams are an escape from the sadness of her parents’ separation, but will her coping mechanism bring her more trouble than relief?

Critical Analysis

Layout

The table of contents lists the titles of each poem, in which there are over sixty. This novel in verse contains two kinds of poems denoted by two different fonts. The first type is for the narrative. In the contents these poems are indented under the second type of poems, Gabby’s daydreams. Although “Words With Wings” does not include illustrations, fonts are sized and stylized to reflect meaning. In stilts “GABBY THE GREAT” is printed in a taller font and the words are stacked on each other like a person on stilts. Pages are numbered so that each poem is easy to find. Grimes does not include an author’s note, but does conclude the book with acknowledgements. The narrative poems are in a chronological order with the exception of memories of Gabby’s life.

Poetic Elements

The title, “Words With Wings,” is alliterative. Our protagonist Gabby uses daydreams as an escape and words lift her away with their wings. When she hears a word she dives into the depths of her imagination. The poems of her daydreams follow a consistent format for the first two lines, say-blank-and-blank.

In the poem, “Prologue” we see additional significance of the wings. Gabriella is named after a winged creature, an angel.

The poems about daydreams have a strong sense of imagery. In “Waterfall” rain transforms into a waterfall described as “liquid thunder.” Readers can see, hear, and feel the force of the water.

Appeal

Grimes’ novel in verse uses both imagery poems and narrative poems to show us how Gabby lives through this turbulent time in her life. I think young people will gravitate more to the imagery poems, which are the daydream poems particularly if they are to mimic a poetry style for a project. The narrative poetry is comparably appealing because it drives the plot of the story.

Young readers that find interest in diaries will find Gabby’s first person perspective similar. Her voice is candid and realistic for someone her age. She does not have the abstract, deep thoughts of a much older person. Reluctant readers may delight in the brevity of the 81 pages, especially pages that are mostly negative space.

Though the plot revolves around the emotional and serious subject of divorce, children who have experienced this life change may be relieved to find they can relate to the character. In the case that they have not experienced divorce this can be an opportunity to learn about the life experiences of others. Similarly, this is also a diversity read as it features African American characters.

According to a School Library Journal review this book is for those in grades 3-7. For readers on the younger spectrum, this title does a good job of explicitly saying the things Gabby thinks, but does not say to other characters. There is no need to try to figure it out. Readers really get to see what is in her head as if we were reading her diary.

The protagonist displays a wild imagination. Any encouragement to copy her writing style is certain to inspire the imagination of young people. Extension activities invite readers to show what their imaginations are capable of.

Overall Quality

Nikki Grimes has been writing children poetry for a long time her experience shows. Her work is dense with deliberate use of literary devices from alliteration in her title to the symbol of the wings. I read this book three times, and each time I found more clever, poetic surprises. Grimes creatively distinguishes the narrative poems from the daydream/imagery poems with two different fonts. Her format is consistent, especially in the poems about daydreams. The words that have wings are put in quotations, “Say ‘fly,’ and…” Grimes uses this format through the whole book. The plot in the narrative poetry is strong through the finish. We ultimately see that both Gabby and her mother find peace in her daydreaming. It turns out to be a healthy and beautiful activity.

Final Analysis

I would highly recommend this book for third grade students and up. I found it non-idealistic and therefore realistic, demonstrative of good use of poetic elements, and highly imaginative. I think discussing this book as well as conducting extension activities will bring to light the brilliance of this collection. Its brevity makes it approachable even for the most reluctant readers. I myself am inspired to write and read poetry by “Words With Wings” and I’m not the target audience.

Featured Poem

“Author”

Say “Gabriella,”

And Mom sees me,

Silver-tipped pen in hand,

Swirling “Best Wishes”

Across the front pages

Of dozens of books

With my name

Printed on them.

I sign hundreds

Round the clock

For a line of happy fans

That stretch a city block.

And there is Mom, beaming

Right beside me.

Poem Connections

This poem is a daydream poem following the say-blank-and-blank format. After reading allowed twice allow participants 15 minutes to daydream about what they wish to be when they grow up. Remark on how in the book Mr. Spicer did the very same activity. Then have the children write their own poems in the same format. Let volunteers read theirs aloud.

MOD 3: New Poetry

Bibliographic Data

Beynette, Kathy Dezarn. 2014. When I Am Not Myself. Pomegranate. ISBN: 9780764966736

Summary

Beynette muses through poetry the emotions and thoughts we have by drawing comparisons to animal lives and idioms.

Critical Analysis

Layout

This book does not include a table of contents, page numbers, or titles for individual poems. Each poem highlights an animal, with some repeating (the dog and the bear). They are in no particular order or grouping. Illustrations depict the entitled animal, but it is not always reflective of the poem. The pictures are also hard to see from a distance because of their dull colors and indefinite outlines. The arrangement of the poems is nearly consistent except for the poem about the crow (it has a longer format) and the final poem (which is designed to reinforce the title). Most poems are spread over two-pages, but some are on only one page next to another poem. There is an author’s note is at the end, but it sounds more like an advertisement instead of information about the animals or the author’s artistic process.

Poetic Elements

The meaning of the title refers to the times we act a little different. In those moments Beynette asserts that we are like these animals. Readers are to humor Beynette by relating to these animal characters. The characters are not animals as they appear in the wild, but anthropomorphic animals that are human-like. Each poem uses metaphor to draw comparison. It is more clever than emotional.

Appeal

Most poems are rhyming in an A-B-C-B rhyme scheme which will be appealing for those children able to recognize rhyming words. Though humorous not all the wit is at the level of a child, nor does it reference a child’s experience. For example in one poem a polar bear goes to Miami when they get old. A child may not know that Miami is a popular retirement location. They might not know much about what retirement is.

The animals that appear in this collection are ones familiar to children. They are not specific species; one simply a bear, the most specific one is a poodle. Many children take interest in animals so this aspect is appealing. An instructor could pair a poem or two to a story or lesson about a particular animal. Using this poetry can be an opportunity to reinforce known animal facts, but it does not delve into specifics. It works better when providing an animal’s perspective. In the hound poem we see the benefit to being low to the ground.

Linguistically, some poems expose children to idioms. This collection would be a good place to start exploration of animal idioms through group discussion, and maybe even art projects.

Some poems could help young readers to develop interpreting subtly. Much is left unsaid leaving readers smirking. In the poem about the turkey, you could help those who may not notice at first by asking why a turkey would want to be forgotten in November.

Overall Quality

Poems are nearly consistent. They all rhyme and have original artwork depicting animals. The publisher Pomegranate is a company known for artistic gifts, not just books. This collection is in line with the company’s other products because it has a strong artistic element. The publisher’s artistic mission is fulfilled, but the literary element leaves something to be desired. These poems do not offer a deep interpretation of identity. It is not a collection of animal poems that teaches us scientific facts. It is a whimsical collection of clever poems. It comes off more like a gift book than a work of literature.

The illustrations are not consistent. There are two types of illustrations: ones that appear to be drafts of the poems and art, and touched up illustrations that do not have written words. As I said before some art depicts what is happening in the poem while other art just displays the animal subject.

Final Analysis

I would not recommend this book to read aloud because it is small and the pictures are difficult to discern. Other titles do a better job of integrating animal knowledge, like those by Joyce Sidman. It seems like this book of poems is better suited to be a whimsical gift book for an adult.

Featured Poem

When I’m an anteater

Just guess what I eat!

I put sugar on them

To make them taste sweet.

Poem Connections

I would use this poem within a storytime about the five senses. After reading aloud two times I would ask the group the obvious question, “what did the anteater eat?” Then the children can write their own versions of this poem by changing the food item, the sense (taste, feel, hear, etc), and the adjective.

I would put (food item) on them

To make them (sense) (adjective).

Naturally I would invite children to illustrate their likely humorous poems. This could easily be a fill in worksheet with space for a drawing.

MOD 3: Poetic Form

Bibliographic Data and ISBN

Wardlaw, Lee, and Eugene Yelchin. 2011. Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told In Haiku. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN: 9780805089950

Summary

In the form of haiku poems, follow the story of a cat chosen from the pound that grows accustomed to his loving home.

Critical Analysis

Layout

Wardlaw’s book does not include a table of contents, numbered pages, or an index. This allows her to leave poems untitled; however, there are section titles like “The Choosing” and “The New Place.” Sections do not have an even distribution of poems, but they do sort poems in a chronological fashion. The author’s note is short and different from most poetry books I’ve read because it is in the front of the text. It simply tells more about senryu, the poetry form focused on in the book.

Personally I find some of the illustrations to be inappropriate for this book. One is inspired by Japanese wood-block prints. Of course, haiku and senryu are of Japanese origin, but it’s the mixing of other aspects of Asian cultures that make me question having the style at all. Won Ton (the food) is of Chinese origin. At one point the cat is referred to as an “oriental prince.” Use of the word “Oriental” has been controversial, but one can argue that it refers to the breed, the oriental shorthair. If it in fact it does then that breed is of Thai origin. It’s not appropriate to interchange and mix various Asian identities and present them as a single identity. It’s offensive and insensitive. Neither the author nor the illustrator are Asian themselves. It can appear that the author and the illustrator are outsiders, mimicking and mocking Asian culture. The illustrations may have been appropriate if the other items were absent from the book.

The illustrations have depth and color. I do not believe that this aspect adds meaning to the poems that accompany them. In the pages entitled “The Yard” the moth is lime green which is not typical for a moth. I do enjoy the simplistic style of his compositions. This type of art is easy for larger storytime groups to see what is happening on the page. Yelchin does convey the humor in the poetry through his art. Readers clearly see comical expressions in the cat’s eyes and body.

Poetic Elements

Haiku, or specifically, senryu is the form the poetry takes in this book. Both forms have the same format, line 1: 5 syllables, line 2: 7 syllables, line 3: 5 syllables. Both capture an image or single moment in time. According to the author’s note, what makes senryu different from haiku is that senryu is of human nature while haiku is about nature. Despite the fact that the poems are supposed to be senryus the title states that they are haiku, which is confusing. Spoiler: The cat’s name does not end up being “Senryu” either. It’s a wonder that the author noted a distinction at all. It also adds to the insult of not making a distinction of the different Asian cultures in this book. The author tells us these poems are of the senryu form, but we don’t end up using the word. Instead, we just keep calling the poetry by the wrong name.

Back to the format of poems, one usually expects a clean form. By that, I mean sentences should not end in the middle of lines. Not that it is a solid rule for the form, but Wardlaw does not follow this form. It causes a verbal awkwardness when reading aloud. Unless the reader was looking at the poem it is likely they would not know you were reading a senryu. It also takes away from the rhythm. Students are likely to count and bounce along to the syllables of this form, but the placement of sentences makes this usually fun part problematic.

The sense imagery is strong in these poems. Wardlaw uses special language well, such as, “on my left… my right.” She efficiently creates scenes, “Yawn. I pretend not to care.” Both imagery and creating scenes are identifying characteristics of the haiku and senryu forms. Wardlaw does a good job accomplishing both.

Appeal

The forms of haiku and senryu are formulaic, making them appealing to many readers. The fact that it also has strong imagery brings a refreshing depth to enjoying poetry. When done well it is a form sure to bring in new readers in to poetry. Wardlaw’s poems make good use of imagery.

The subject matter focuses on the life of a cat. Many students love pets and animals so this may be a way to introduce reluctant readers to poetry. What is probably more appealing to reluctant readers is the humor. Wardlaw repeats one poem through the book, the first lines being, “letmeoutletme, outletmeoutletmeout.” The illustrations complement the humor of the text.

Though the vocabulary may not seem too advanced the way it is used is enriching. Instead of saying “eat,” Wardlaw describes the activity using scenery and onomatopoeia. An instructor can find examples in the book of using language in this imaginative way.

Wardlaw utilizes punctuation that would provide teaching moments for students. Poems exhibit dashes, commas, and quotations. Instructors could use these poems for lessons on sentence structures.

The melding of Asian cultures into one has a negative effect on the appeal of this book. It is not enriching cultural knowledge. It perpetuates incorrect notions of Asian culture. I would highly discourage using this title during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Overall Quality

The poems are not consistent in quality. I prefer the ones that do not split sentences in awkward ways specifically verbally. It appears that less than half of the poems are in this desired format. It does not make sense to pause the way that the others are laid out. Occasionally poems do not follow the three line format. The first poem in “The Shelter” section has six lines. Surely a student would ask why it is not in three lines. Would these stylistic choices affect whether students follow the directions on writing their own haikus or senryus? Should we stop students from doing the same? It is debatable, but also complicates an otherwise simple appreciation of the poetic form.

As the poems progress through the cat’s chronology there is a sentimental shift in the last few poems. We see the cat grow closer to his owner, or as he thinks, the boy he owns. The shift is cemented by the final poem in which the cat reveals his true name. His true name ties the whole collection together giving it a poetic depth as opposed to being a collection of silly cat poems.

Final Analysis

I think the cultural insensitivity in this book is the main reason I would not recommend this title. I also think that mismatching the lines and sentences ruins the delightful rhythm of the haiku form. It is a shame because Wardlaw and Yelchin create great imagery and illustrations in this collection.

Featured Poem

Crickets crunch. Mice snap.

Wing thing makes dusty snack:

No meat on a moth.

Poem Connections

Since haiku and senryu capture a moment like snapping a photograph, have children draw this moment. Elizabeth Bird’s SLJ review suggests reading this book with “A Curious Collection of Cats” by Betsy Franco. It’s similar not only because it’s also about cats, but also because it focuses on one type of poetry, concrete poetry. Douglas Florian’s book “Bow Wow Meow Meow” or Nikki Grimes’ “When Gorilla Goes Walking” would also be similar titles to pair with “Won Ton.”