Bibliography Mora, Pat. 2010. Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375843754 Review & Critical Analysis Dizzy in Your Eyes is a collection of fifty poems written by Pat Mora. Each poem is written from the point of view of a unique narrator. The narrators are both boys and girls, each experiencing different moments centered around love. Mora includes many different types of poetry and defines many of the different types to help the reader better understand the poetic forms. This is a very interesting, teen-centered collection of poems about an emotion that takes on many shapes; love. Each poem is unique and tells a “love” story from a different narrator’s perspective. From the boy who leaves flowers on the windshield of the girl he likes, to the poem “Old Love” which reflects on the heartbreak of watching a grandparent lose their life-long love, these poems run the gamut of “love” emotions. There is hope, joy, anger, and heartbreak. There are even poems that reflect on the love of family and friends. Some of the poems have rhythm and rhyme, while others use detailed imagery to create an emotional impact. The mixture of styles and emotions from multiple perspectives is interesting and engaging for the reader. Mora does a tremendous job mixing different styles and forms of poetry to create an incredibly diverse and unique collection of poems. Even though all the poems center around love, the different forms keep the reader on his/her toes. Each time Mora introduces a new or unique poetic form, like an ode or anaphora, she defines it so that the reader has a better understanding of the origin and form of the poem. Mora even includes a few poems in English and Spanish! This information extends the reader’s understanding and helps him/her connect with this new poetic idea. Overall the quality of the poems is consistent and, even with various forms and emotions, they are able to stay on topic. Maintaining the theme of love could present a challenge to many poets, but Mora does a tremendous job of producing high-quality poetry reflecting the many aspects of love. In her note to the reader at the beginning of the book, Mora explains the meaning behind the book and poems, as well as her use of multiple forms of poetry. She also discusses that she wrote these poems for choral reading, duets, and to be used with music. Another interesting anecdote is that she views the book as a “cycle of love.” From first love, to heartbreak, to finding love again, this book has every love emotion imaginable! Dizzy in Your Eyes is a work of poetry that will take you back to the way you felt the first time you fell in love. These poems, written specifically for teens, are engaging, interesting, and relatable for readers of all ages. This title is a great addition to a high school or young adult poetry collection. Spotlight Poem Mundo de agua Sliding into blue pool swirl of my other world, recurring rhythm: breath, stroke, kick, wet home Stretching into my breath I reach beyond myself, earth-sounds muffled, water and I alone Racing, I gasp, we gasp, then cheer our team on, hoarse from the hunger, all our practice, we’re one. This poem, found on page 109, is a cinquain. A cinquain is a five-line stanza or poem, often written in five unrhymed lines of 2-4-6-8-2 syllables. This poem immediately caught my attention with its vivid imagery. In just a few short syllables and lines, Mora is able to translate the feeling of swimming in a race. The words are used to create a definite feeling that draws you in and builds into the climax of the race. I would introduce this poem to students by reading it aloud, having them visualize the poem and its incredible imagery. After reading, I would have the students reflect on how the poem made them feel and what they visualized by sketching a picture. I would then ask the students to discuss the words that stood out and created that feeling. After our discussion, I would give the students a copy of the poem. I would tell them about this poetic form and the rules for it. If time allowed, I would give the students an opportunity to experiment with writing a cinquain of their own.
0 Comments
|
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
April 2017
Categories
All
|