Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian - Florian Poetry

Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. 2007. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 978-0152053727.

Review and Critical Analysis                             

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS by Douglas Florian contains twenty poems with astronomy as the theme. The poems in this book are presented in an ordinal structure, starting with the idea of watching the sky, followed by the universe, the galaxy, the solar system and the planets in the solar system in the order they move away from the sun. In addition there are poems on extraneous elements within the universe such as constellations and comets. The book concludes with a poem on THE GREAT BEYOND, or deep space. Florian has included a Table of Contents, along with a Galactic Glossary and Selected Bibliography in the back of the book. This book also has an element of engineering incorporated in it. There are cutouts, the majority of which are circular in shape, on every other page that highlights areas of the illustrations in the upcoming poems.

The subject, astronomy, affords the injection of vivid images and descriptive language. VENUS is an accurate example of this imagery. Florian describes the planet as having a “scalding surface” with no life and poisonous clouds in its atmosphere. Images come to mind of a barren landscape, perhaps with heat waves rising from the ground, and unhealthy yellow looking clouds hanging in the air. He ends the poem by asking an intriguing question, why would you name such a dead, bleak world for a goddess of love? This question provides a nice contrast for the reader, and perhaps would spark a research assignment if this poem were used in a classroom setting.

Each of these poems is short and concise, and every poem in the collection is written in rhyme. They highlight special features or attributes of outer space. Several types of rhyme schemes are employed by Florian, most notably couplet, half measure and chain rhyme. Couplet features prominently in MERCURY and NEPTUNE, while half measure, where the second and fourth lines in a four line stanza rhyme and the first and third do not is used satisfactorily in THE SOLAR SYSTEM. The chain rhyme is used successfully in his poem THE MINOR PLANETS. The poem is written in two four line stanzas. The first three lines of the first stanza rhyme, as do the first three lines of the second. While the fourth and eighth lines rhyme. 

Both the rhyme schemes and the poetry itself have unique features. In THE UNIVERSE Florian writes, “Including all the empty space” and the letters in the word empty are themselves spaced out to emphasize the concept he is trying to convey. The very last word in the poem NEPTUNE is blue, and is colored blue within the text to reinforce the color of the planet. A GALAXY is a concrete poem shaped like a spiral galaxy. THE MOON, a poem in five couplets, has four words (in the first four couplets) written out in bold, new, crescent, half and full. These words correspond to the phases of the moon, and each couplet that has a bold word succinctly describes that phase.

Florian’s poems are informative and have the ability to increase not only the reader’s knowledge about astronomy, but also their vocabulary. Each poem is instructive, illuminating the object, or objects being discussed.  In THE CONSTELLATIONS Florian does this two ways. In the illustration for that poem Florian overlays a picture of the constellation represented with its Latin name. Also, within the poem itself he refers to the constellations with there Latin names. Through the illustration and the poem readers learn what animals the Latin names represent. Some of the constellations are easily recognizable, while others might be new to young readers. The poems each have a definite element of humor present as well. This will help keep the reader’s attention, and retain interest. One of the best examples of Florian’s use of humor to instruct is found in PLUTO. This book was written after Pluto was demoted from planetary status, and Florian in a very humorous fashion, says that Pluto was considered a planet, but now “it doesn’t pass” because it is “lacking mass.” He concluded the poem by saying “Pluto was a planet. Till one day it got fired.” This mix of information and humor is perfect for a young audience.

Florian’s illustrations are entertaining and sophisticated. A mix of collages, cutouts, stamps and paint these two page illustrations are extremely colorful and playful, but they are also instructive on several levels. They not only are descriptive of the poem, but they also present new terms or subjects than can be explored.  In THE SUN there is a large, two page painted image of the sun in brilliant shades of orange and yellow. Superimposed over that in collage fashion are smaller artistic depictions of the sun. On the outside edge of the painting of the sun is the word ‘sun’ in various languages including Estonian, Spanish, German and Lithuanian. This supplemental level introduces the study of languages in addition to the poetry. THE BLACK HOLE illustration depicts what happens to a supernova as it dies and gets sucked into a black hole. The illustration is almost in diagram fashion, displaying the supernova on the left page with a large trail of yellow gas leading away from it in a spiral pattern toward the black hole. This illustration presents a small science lesson because along that trail, and written on top of the yellow paint, is the word ‘gas’ along with arrows in red pointing the direction the gas follows to reach the black hole, which is shown as a small black dot in the center of the right page.   

Poem Used to Support Critical Analysis and How That Poem Would Be Introduced

SKYWATCH

By Douglas Florian

On a clear night you might try

To gaze upon the starry sky.

A telescope or binoculars are

Great aids to observe a star.

To find your way it’s good to sight

Upon a star that’s very bright,

Like Sirius or Canopus,

Alpha Centauri or Arcturus.

You may see a planet or

A flash of light from a meteor.

Use a constellation chart

To help you tell the stars apart.

Start out when the day is done.

Most of all: Have lots of fun!

         In SKYWATCH Florian mentions almost every celestial object contained in the book, making use of couplet rhyme. This poem, like the others in the collection, is simultaneously instructive and entertaining. He instructs by providing the names of uncommon stars and entertains by encouraging the practice of looking up into the sky to discover what is there. He also adds that above all readers should have fun, not only sky watching but presumably with the poems to follow as well.

          Before my formal introduction to this poem I would begin by asking the students, “Have you ever gone out to look at the sky at night?” and “If you have, what did you see?” Other questions could be “Did you know the names of what you saw?” or “What was the favorite thing you saw when you looked into the night sky?” After this brief discussion I would introduce the poem by saying, “Today I am going to read you a poem called SKYWATCH by Douglas Florian. It discusses several celestial bodies that you might see when you gaze into the night sky. Listen closely and when we are finished we can talk about the objects mentioned in the poem, and if any of you have ever seen them.” I would then read the actual poem aloud, showing them the illustrations while I read. Being able to see Florian’s eclectic artwork will help the students experience the poem on a visual, as well as oral level.

Knock On Wood: Poems About Superstitions by Janet S. Wong - Multicultural Poetry

Bibliography

Wong, Janet S. 2003. KNOCK ON WOOD: POEMS ABOUT SUPERSTITIONS. Ill. by Julie Paschkis. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 978-0689855125.

Review and Critical Analysis

            Janet Wong’s KNOCK ON WOOD: POEMS ABOUT SUPERSTITIONS is a collection of seventeen poems about a variety of superstitions and their meanings. There is a Table of Contents, and at the back of the book short descriptions of each of the superstitions and an Author’s Note explaining the superstitions Wong grew up with and her own feelings on the subject. 

          Wong’s poems are more appealing when read aloud due to the fact that they have an unusual cadence which lends itself to oral presentation. THIRTEEN is a witty example of auditory enjoyment.  This poem, about the bad luck surrounding the number thirteen, describes the meeting of a coven of thirteen witches. The second stanza is a series of three lines in which undesirable incidents are described. Onomatopoeia precedes each of these lines with Zing!, Zap!, and Zarg!, and adds to not only the sensory impact but the imaginative value. The energetic manner in which Wong portrays these unfortunate events creates for the reader and listener an immediate picture of the tree falling on that ill-fated car, or the young boy falling off his horse and biting his tongue. The reader and listener can also clearly see the witches cackling madly at these misfortunes.

Julie Paschkis’ vibrant two–page watercolors are an inspired enhancement to Wong’s poetry. The animated background illustrations are reflective of the poem itself. On the left side is a visual depiction of the superstition and on the right is the poem and each are set within an identically shaped outline. Paschkis’ playful illustrations set a humorous mood, while the bright colors hold the young readers attention providing extra depth to Wong’s poems.

          Overall, the poems in this book do not have an identifiable rhyme scheme. Three notable exceptions to this are HAIR, HAT and POTATOES. HAIR and POTATOES are in couplet rhyme. While HAT, a poem written in two four line stanzas has the second and sixth, and fourth and eighth lines rhyme. Each of these three poems has its own distinctive meter. Repetition and narrative poetry are also to be found in this collection. HAT repeats the line “Don’t put your hat…” almost as a caution against the multitude of things one should not do with a hat. GARLIC has the tone of a narrative poem with the speaker offering any vampire that may want to bite him one last opportunity before he devours his Mother’s famous garlic chicken.

The uncomplicated language of the poems is easily understood by the younger reader and the amusing nature make the poems appealing to older readers as well. Although the language is simple, the superstitions discussed will captivate both children and young adults. Each of these poems is informative and inventive in the way it describes the superstitions, and ways to counteract any bad luck. These poems enrich the reader’s knowledge about well known, and more obscure superstitions.

Poem Used to Support Critical Analysis and Follow Up Activity

MIRROR

By Janet S. Wong

The trick is to find sacred ground, the best you can.

Bring your broken mirror there,

here where the dirt is softer, dark.

Bury the pieces with a long straight arm.

Stop if you hear a dog’s shrill bark;

fill the hole, start again,

who knows why.

Why the curse?

          Everyone knows the old adage, break a mirror and you have seven years bad luck, but how many people know how to counteract that curse?  Wong’s poem MIRROR, being true to its informative nature, provides the reader detailed instructions on how to thwart the bad luck brought on by breaking a mirror. In addition the short description at the back of the book about this particular superstition provides the reason behind performing the ritual. This poem is one of the best representations in this collection of the potent images Wong can create with her words. Paschkis illustrations add to the atmosphere the poem creates, providing a somewhat spooky scene with the owls and the moon, and the young girl about to bury her mirror.

          As a follow up activity to this poem, an art project would be ideal. When reading the poem aloud, do not show the illustrations in the book. Allow the students to develop their own ideas about what a picture accompanying this poem should look like. Then ask each student to draw a picture based on their own interpretation of the poem after hearing it. Compare the students drawing to that of the book and then compile all the drawings in a book to show off each student’s art work and their unique views on one poem.

Monumental Verses by J. Patrick Lewis - NCTE Award Poetry

Bibliography

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2005. MONUMENTAL VERSES. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society. ISBN  978-0792271351.

Review and Critical Analysis

            MONUMENTAL VERSES by J. Patrick Lewis is a tribute to well-known landmarks across the world. These poems honor monuments in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the United States. Lewis includes an introductory poem written to recognize the imagination and intellect that went into the creation and realization of these monuments. Fourteen of the poems make up the text of the book, while a fifteenth is included on the back cover. Incorporated in the book is a Table of Contents listing each poem and the Epilogue. At the back of the book in the Epilogue Lewis explains the making of the book, provides a short history of each monument, complete with photograph, and also invites readers to compose their own poems about their favorite monument. Beneath the Epilogue is a world map noting the location of each monument Lewis wrote about. Every poem has an accompanying full page color photograph, or is imposed over a two page color photograph supplied by National Geographic. It should be noted, there are fifteen poems, yet sixteen pictures included with the short histories at the back because Lewis included two summaries on the Eiffel Tower. In addition there is a short history on the Taj Mahal whose photograph is on the title page, but for which there is no poem.

          To help the young reader better understand the monument depicted, above each poem Lewis provides four facts, date, location, builder (or architect) and physical fact, thereby providing a sense of background and history. There is a wide variety of forms used in this book. Three of the poems STONEHENGE, GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS and GREAT WALL OF CHINA are all concrete poems, the poems are written in shapes that resemble the monument. GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE is an acrostic poem written in two stanzas. The first letters of each word at the beginning of the lines, read vertically, spell out International Orange, the color of the paint used on the bridge.

          The poems themselves are sensory, utilizing words and phrases that easily enable the reader to imagine the history occurring during the creation of these monuments, as well as the setting and people that played a role in their creation. National Geographic provided stunning photographs of the physical constructions, which, combined with Lewis’ words, enable the reader to imagine much more. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING is an excellent example of this. The narrator of the poem is the Empire State Building itself,  yet the poem has an element of personification built into it so it appears to the reader that the building is a living thing. The reader can imagine the building waking up “to taxi alarms” or feeling lonely now that the World Trade Center Towers are no longer there to keep it company.

          The language of most of the poetry is easy for a young reader to comprehend. Two exceptions do exist though, STONEHENGE and PALACE OF VERSAILLES. STONEHENGE recounts the story of the monuments construction from the point of view of the ancient peoples who built it. Many of the terms and titles for individuals used could be difficult for younger readers. PALACE OF VERSAILLES had very little to do with the actual building. This poem is more about the state of mind of the king who built it, and the fact that he considered himself divine. Because of this, and the fact that Lewis refers to Louis XIV as the 'Sun', and the palace itself as 'Noon,' younger readers may be confused as to the meaning of the poem.

          Many of the poems have a rhyming pattern, while others are written in free verse or narrative style. EASTER ISLAND is the best example of a rhyming pattern with an alternating rhyme scheme. Many of the poems also employ the poetic device of repetition such as EIFFEL TOWER. The poem is composed as four stanzas with three lines each, the word you is repeated at the end of each line, however there is an additional word at the end of each third line. In stanzas one and two these additional words rhyme with each other, it is the same in stanza’s three and four.

          MONUMENTAL VERSES is a book that not only entertains but also educates. Young readers will learn about magnificent architectural achievements  all over the world and receive insight into their creation and history through an entertaining written and visual form. Readers can learn much from reading these poems, such as the meaning of the name Machu Picchu, the dimensions of the Statue of Liberty and the purpose of the statues on Easter Island. The language, photographs, and varying forms the poems take all work to keep the interest of the reader.

Poem Used to Support Critical Analysis and How That Poem Would Be Introduced

GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS

By J. Patrick Lewis

The

story of

this ancient

land, where wind’s

a glove designing sand,

is told by  ghosts in silent

rooms beneath the most enormous

tombs of granite fame. Some thirty years

the peasants came, gaunt brigadiers of stone

by rope. Without the wheel, their only

hope was grim ordeal. Where’s Pharaohs lie, a

Pyramid should glorify what others did.

          GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS by J. Patrick Lewis displays, through its words and shape, the essence of this book. The poem itself represents, and pays homage to, the monument it depicts. Also, Lewis’ use of words to evoke a sense of history is strong here. The poem imparts the knowledge of the toil that went into building the Great Pyramid by the Ancient Egyptians, and the purpose for which the construction was intended. The last line truly sums up the crux of this book, it, like the monuments, help to “glorify what others did.”

          I would introduce this poem by asking the students, before the reading, if any of them ever wanted to travel, and where they wanted to go. I would ask questions like, “What are your reasons for choosing this place?” or “What did you most want to see when you were there?” Then, I would tell the students that the poem I am about to present, entitled GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS by J. Patrick Lewis, is about one of the greatest constructions ever built by man, and also a very popular tourist attraction.  While reading I would also display the book so everyone listening could see the photograph of the pyramid. This will serve to enhance Lewis’ words and provide a reference if anyone had never heard of the monument before.