Bibliography Eleveld, Mark. 2003. The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks MediaFusion. ISBN 9781402202469 Review & Critical Analysis This is a unique title that not only provides examples of spoken word poetry and encourages its performance, but also tells the history of performance poetry and describes its new generation, including slam poetry and hip-hop. Compiled from poets, writers, and artists across generations and styles, this is an incredibly diverse collection of engaging and modern poetry. Each poem included in this collection is unique in its elements. Throughout the collection, you can find poems that use figurative language to create dynamic emotions and images, poems with sounds and rhythm that transport you to a different time and place, and poems that leave a lasting emotional impact through these elements. Readers will find many poems that are appealing, especially with their hip-hop, rhythmic elements. Some of the poems are on the longer side, considering they are meant for performance, which may not appeal to all readers. However, included with this title is a CD of many of the poems performed by the artists that wrote them. This is great for readers who are interested in this type of poetry, but many not have the stamina to read them completely. The poems cover a wide range of topics and can help building knowledge of different life experiences through the lens of authors and poets from diverse and varied backgrounds. Even though the experiences of the authors may be different from the reader, each poem does a fantastic job of communicating and demonstrating different linguistic elements and personal experiences. The accompanying CD is a tremendous resource that further supports understanding of the poems as they are listened to aloud. Just like with any kind of poetry, hearing it read (or performed) by the author creates an entirely different experience than reading it yourself. You truly feel the emotions, feelings, and rhythm around which that author built the poem. The overall quality of the poems is consistent, with the editor and advisor selecting high-quality, relevant examples of this style of poetry. The poems reinforce the theme and purpose of the book with their strength and use in performance poetry. Each poem stimulates the reader’s emotions and feelings in different ways, while keeping a rhythm consistent with performance poetry. This collection features the poetry of many artists, including Patricia Smith, Tara Betts, Jeff McDaniel, Roger Bonair-Agard, Bob Holman, Regie Gibson, DJ Renegade, Jean Howard, Luis Rodriguez, Saul Williams, and many more. Each of these poets brings a different perspective and style to their poetry, creating a dynamic collection that captures the essence of performance poetry past, present, and future. The Spoken Word Revolution is arranged into six parts, including a prologue by Billy Collins, poet laureate, and an epilogue. There is also a section about the editors and the biographies of the contributing poets are included, as well. A table of contents, index, acknowledgements, and credits are also provided. There are several photographs of the poets performing their pieces, helping the reader to visualize the poets on stage. The included CD is a wonderful resource that allows the reader to hear poetry being performed, providing a guide for the rhythm and sound of this type of poetry. When looking for a title that included poetry for performance, this book immediately jumped out to me from our collection. It is one that is in constant rotation by our students, and one which they use to plan their own poetry and performances for our yearly Poetry Slam. Students will often select poems and pieces from this book to practice to gain familiarity with the rhythm and style of performance poetry. Even though it is a lengthy title, it is one that is easy to navigate and provides great resources for the history and origins of performance poetry, as well as its impact on our society and culture today. This is a title that I will continue to promote and share with our students. The powerful rhythm and language used within is appealing to young adults and encourages personal expression and poetry performance. I would definitely recommend this title for high school and up, as many of the poems contain mature themes and profanity. Spotlight Poem First Period half way through first period dust accumulated on the sweaty palm of my raised hand must be a centimeter thick by now as the chicken-legged teacher goes around the room defacing students homework from last night with red pen graffiti that focuses more on missed commas than the content of the sentences he finally decides to acknowledge me “Mr. Derrig, why do I have a feeling that this is another one of your dumb comments. You constantly waste my time. Why don’t you just drop out or something?” why don’t I just drop out why don’t I just drop out! and it was at that moment that all statistics began to make sense to me statistics of children whose mouths water more for the many taste of society corner slanged penicillins than the cardboard texture of diplomas with pipes more important to fill than class requirements statistics of classes cut to avoid battlefields full of aggravated shrapnel from teachers with exploding tempers teachers with magnifying glasses at the end of pointers who feed off the brightness of surrounding students to singe holes in the esteems of those who need just a little more help than others I wanted to turn my shot-down hand into a fist I wanted to hit him ‘til he was incapable of speaking anymore but I didn’t want to become another number in overflowing manila folders of children arrested in school and we wonder why a gun seems to fit perfectly in the hands of this generation’s adolescents ladies and gentlemen I’m writing this poem to highlight that which has been stuck like gum underneath wobbly desks free from parental eyes only to mess the hand of those who have to sit there I’m writing this poem to speak for all the rows of children before me who remained voiceless in the cracks of school and its sound proof text books I’m writing this poem for all the children who have not yet been named the ones that will one day have to fill these rows I’ve been struggling in only to enter classrooms where they’ll be shot down for what they feel ladies and gentlemen the future of America is being crushed between the molars of power-hungry tyrants who think class rooms are boot camps and if we have any teachers in the audience I urge you to understand that the hand you grab the chalk with the hand you grab those red pens with the voices you speak with are oversized chisels and you must proceed to teach with caution for what you say and what you do is written in stone and if you chisel too hard these minds can crack “So what don’t you understand now, Mr. Derrig?” I just wanted to know if I could go to the bathroom This poem, found on pages 220-221, is written and performed by Kevin M. Derrig. It discusses a common feeling that many students share; a feeling of being judged, dismissed, and treated unfairly by their teachers. The way Derrig compares the teacher to a chisel and the student to stone is creative and paints a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The themes of the poem are identifiable and understandable by students and readers of all ages. I would introduce this poem by playing the track from the included CD of Derrig’s poetry performance. After listening, I would ask the students what stood out to them. What phrases, words, language, etc. did the author use that painted a vivid picture in your mind? What is your take away from this poem? Do you agree with the author? Have you felt the same way? As a follow-up activity, I would encourage students to find a piece of performance poetry that speaks to them. They could then share it with the class (in print, video, or audio format) or perform it themselves. This would be a great way to introduce the idea of performance poetry and begin to form a foundation to eventually host a poetry slam for students.
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Bibliography Sidman, Joyce. 2010. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Ill. by Rick Allen. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780547152288 Review & Critical Analysis This 2011 Newbery Honor book introduces the reader to the forest at night through an enchanting and mesmerizing collection of poems. Joyce Sidman is known for her outstanding poetry and this title does not disappoint! Each poem, accompanied by the illustrations of Rick Allen and a brief informational paragraph, engages the reader in a learning experience, deep in the woods at night. Each poem introduces a different element of nature and its behavior/characteristics at night. The subjects range from animals to plants to fungi, and are as descriptive as they are entertaining. Sidman literally takes the reader into the forest and brings the subject to life through words. You can smell the damp air, feel the ground beneath your feet, and see each subject in its natural habitat. Each poem has a different rhythm and feeling. Some rhyme, some use shape to convey meaning, and others play on lines and white space to create a different rhythm. Even though the poems range in their form, they all create a vivid picture that engages the reader and brings the subject to life. The poems in this title are mesmerizing! Sidman truly engages the reader in discovering each subject and brings its habitat to life. Even if readers have not visited the forest at night (or in day) or have never seen the subject of the poem, the language, accompanied by the beautiful illustrations paints an engaging picture that will keep the reader reading. The poems are easy to understand, and provide a great background for the habits and characteristics of nocturnal animals and forest plants. The poems maintain a consistent quality and present information in engaging ways. Each poem is accompanied by a beautiful illustration done through relief printing and hand colored with a water color called gouache. The illustrations bring each subject to life and can each stand alone as a true piece of art. The paragraph included with each poem describes the subject of that particular poem, providing further scientific and background information. For example, the spotlight poem below “Welcome to the Night,” is accompanied by a paragraph describing the characteristics of the raccoon that make it a successful hunter at night, as well as what food it may find hidden in the forest. The information accompanying each poem is specific to its subject and provides interesting and insightful information that may help the reader make important connections. The book also has a table of contents and a glossary to help readers better understand the specialized vocabulary in the book. The poems in this book are outstanding! They are reflective, interesting, and thought-provoking. From the various forms of poetry, to the engaging subjects, this is a book that lends itself well to sharing and use in the classroom for enjoyment and cross-curricular connections. Spotlight Poem Welcome to the Night To all of you who crawl and creep, who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep, who wake at dusk and throw off sleep: Welcome to the night. To you who make the forest sing, who dip and dodge on silent wing, who flutter, hover, clasp, and cling: Welcome to the night! Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze, come smell your way among the trees, come touch rough bark and leathered leaves: Welcome to the night. The night’s a sea of dappled dark, the night’s a feast of sound and spark, the night’s a wild, enchanted park. Welcome to the night! This poem, found on page 6, is the first poem in this book. Sidman does an incredible job of using language to paint a picture! You can feel, smell, and hear all that is happening around you in the forest through the words she uses and the elements she describes. I would introduce this poem by reading it to my students in the dark. After reading, I would ask the students to draw a picture or write down what the felt, heard, smelled, or saw. I would have students pair-share, then discuss as a class what words Sidman used to create those feelings, sounds, smells, and sights. As a follow-up activity, I would use this poem in conjunction with a science unit researching nocturnal animals. After reading the poem, and providing students with access to multiple copies of this book, I would encourage them to create their own poem describing a nocturnal animal, its habitat, and/or its characteristics. Students could then compile their poems into a classroom anthology to revisit throughout the year. Bibliography Alexander, Kwame. 2014. The Crossover. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544107717 Review & Critical Analysis In this Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Honor award winning verse novel, Kwame Alexander tells the story of 12-year-old, dread-locked, basketball loving Joshua Bell. Josh and his twin brother Jordan, better known as JB, own the court on their junior high basketball team. Their father, Charles “Chuck” Bell, was known as “Da Man” during his glory days in the European basketball league. With his coaching and their mother/assistant principal’s guidance, the two are an unstoppable pair on and off the court. Changes in their personal life begin to alter the relationship of the two brothers, leaving Josh to cope with being alone for the first time in his life. At the climax of the book, a game-changing moment turns the family’s world upside down and changes their lives forever. This verse novel utilizes a variety of poetic forms. There are rhyming couplets, free verse, and the most striking of all, poems that epitomize the rhythm, hustle, and movement of basketball. The poems range from the athletically driven, pulse pounding beats of basketball, to the simple, emotional thoughts of a boy becoming a young man. Alexander uses movement, font, white space, and sound to put you in Josh’s shoes in each poem. Even though the basketball theme is strong, including the “Basketball Rules” poems scattered throughout, the theme of family stands firmly at the center of the poems. This verse novel paints the portrait of a loving, supportive family who encourages their children to strive for success on and off the court. Readers will easily relate to these strong themes and feel the deep emotions that come with it. For example, as Josh struggles to cope with “losing” his brother to his first girlfriend, the reader can easily sense and understand his loneliness, frustration, and resentment. The use of basketball to relate life lessons and emotions is creative and intense, drawing the reader in and creating those experiences through moving poetry. The forms of poetry included in this novel vary greatly, but Alexander successfully keeps the quality consistent. The poems have a hip-hop and jazz, musical feel, creating a natural rhythm for the reader. Many of the poems feature movement, utilizing white space, font variety, and other poetic tools to create motion that is palpable. The poems range in emotion from funny, to angry, to heartbreaking. This novel truly gives the reader a complete and candid view of Josh’s world, family, and feelings. The poems are arranged chronologically into a basketball game. There is the “Warm-Up,” followed by four quarters, and then finally by an “Overtime.” This is an appropriate and inventive layout for a novel centered around basketball. Even the title is a play on the basketball theme. A “crossover” is a basketball move, but it is also indicative of the changes Josh and his family go through in this novel. Alexander does a fantastic job of creating a middle grade novel geared toward boys that is also highly relatable and well-written for any reader. The Crossover is a verse novel that, in my opinion, is a new classic. It is the perfect title for a student who loves sports or music, but is struggling to find a book to enjoy. The mix of poetry forms, written in Josh’s bold, yet realistic voice will speak to readers of all ages. This verse novel is moving, funny, and full of elements that intrigue and entice the reader. It is no wonder that this title won the Lee Bennet Hopkins Award in 2015. I will recommend this title for years to come! Spotlight Poem This poem, found on page 59, is a great example of how Kwame Alexander uses movement, white space, and different sizes/shapes of lettering to create movement. You can actually feel and hear Josh and JB (and their mother) talking, yelling, and playing hoops in this poem.
I would introduce this poem by first showing it to the students. Before reading it, I would talk about what they see. What do you notice about the lines, spacing, and use of bold/capital letters? Then, I would read it aloud, or if able to, find a recording of Alexander reading it aloud. After sharing the poem with the students, I would share a few more examples of this type of poem from the novel and discuss how the shape and lines create the movement and dialogue in the poem. As a follow up activity, I would encourage students to find other examples of poetry with movement to share with the class. I would also encourage students to choose an activity they enjoy watching or participating in and create a poem like this one to share with the class or in their poetry anthologies. |
AuthoRMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own. Archives
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