Poems to Learn by Heart: Poetry Review
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kennedy, Caroline. Poems
to Learn by Heart. New York, NY: Hyperion Books. ISBN-13: 978-142310805-4
Muth, Jon J. Poems to
Learn by Heart. By Caroline Kennedy. New York, NY: Hyperion Books. ISBN-13:
978-142310805-4
SUMMARY/ANALYSIS
This book presents a collection of poetry geared towards
children, put together by Caroline Kennedy and illustrated by Jon Muth. This
collection contains twelve sections that each contain several poems by
different poets, as well as informative introductions at the start of each
section written by Caroline Kennedy. This book also contains an index of poems
by first lines and an index by the author/poet’s last name making it easy to
search for poems by topic or by the poet. These poems cover an array of
subjects, including (but not limited to) playtime, nighttime, musings about
religion and heaven, toys, morning, the world, and much more. Poets incorporated
within this book include authors such as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson,
Sir Walter Scott, Robert Frost, Mary Ann Hoberman, Lewis Carroll, and many
more. As each poem is written by a different author, the styles of the poems
are also vastly different, giving the collection diversity in both subject
matter and poetry style, as well as in poet selection. Some poems follow a
rhythmic pattern of rhyming, others use the repetition of a specific word in a poem
to emphasize the topic, while others take on a more conversational, natural
language-type of style. One poem that implements the rhyming technique is the
poem “A Poison Tree” by William Blake. Below is an excerpt from the poem:
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow;
And I water’d it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with my smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
This excerpt is demonstrative of a poem that flows easily,
familiarizing the reader to the pattern of the poem in the first four lines of
the poem’s rhyme scheme, and making it easy to read throughout its entirety. This
poem also does a wonderful job of conveying the message of how harboring hatred
and wrath within your person and heart only serves to damage yourself, not
others.
The illustrations, created by Jon J Muth, add to each poem
by incorporating a visual representation of the subject matter of each poem or
set of poems. These illustrations are beautifully done, seeming to glide across
the page in a variety of colors and tones. This fluidity and gliding appearance
may come from its watercolor-based techniques, almost mimicking the way in which
the poems also flow effortlessly off the tongue (especially when read aloud). These
illustrations are the perfect addition to the poetry within this collection and
bring these poems to life in vivid images that both children and adults alike
can appreciate.
POEM PLUS “TAKE 5” ACTIVITIES
This poem serves as a perfect example of the variety of
poems within this collection. This poem, “Hide-and-Seek” by Galway Kinnell, is
written in such a way that it follows natural speech, being read and carried
out in a conversational tone. It is written in a storytelling manner and is
almost childlike in its speech. The reader can easily visualize a child
thinking these thoughts while continuing to hide during an active game of hide
and seek and can easily relate to it. On top of its beautiful and relatable writing,
this poem is reflective of a poem that is simply timeless, being a poem written
in 1933 that wonderfully depicts a game that continues today and a game that
all children and adults are familiar with. Read the following poem (best if read
aloud) and immerse yourself into the mindset of a child who is playing hide and
seek with friends!
Hide-and-Seek
By Galway Kinnell
Once when we were playing
hide-and-seek and it was time
to go home, the rest gave up
on the game before it was done
and forgot that I was still hiding.
I remained hidden as a matter
of honor until the moon rose.
Take 5
Activities
1. Read
the poem “Hide-and-Seek” by Galway Kinnell aloud to the group, having them
close their eyes and image the game as situation as it is happening.
2. Reread
the poem aloud, encouraging the group to volunteer to read a line of the poem
(choosing at least 7 students to read each line as it is separated in the poem
paragraph).
3. Discuss
the game hide-and-seek and have the students share with the group their
favorite hide-and-seek memories, as well as the best place(s) they have hidden
before!
4. Pair this
poem with the picture book Hide and Seek:
In the Jungle by Sean Callery (Kingfisher, 2010), and encourage the
students to point out the hidden animals as they find them on each page,
pretending they are playing hide and seek with the jungle animals.
5. Link this
poem with another poem about hide-and-seek, such as “Hide-and-Seek (A Children’s
Poem) by C. Richard Miles (https://www.poemhunter.com/
poem/hide-and-seek-a-children-s-poem/). Have the students compare the two
poems and discuss how they are similar in creating the image of playing this
game.
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