P*Tag compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong - Free Choice Poetry

Bibliography

Vardell, Sylvia and Wong, Janet. 2011. P*TAG. Ill. by Sylvia Vardell. PoetryTagTime.com. ISBN 9781937057060.

Review and Critical Analysis   
         P*TAG is an e-book anthology of 31 poems, written by 31 different poets, and compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. There is a Table of Contents that lists the names of each poet. Background information about each poet is found at the end of the book, along with websites for the majority of the poets in the anthology. In the beginning, and end, of the anthology is a description of the creation of the book. First, each poet was tagged, then asked to choose a photo that inspired them, from the selection taken and posted by Vardell, from this photo library blog: http://teenpoetrytagtime.blogspot.com/. Using that photo, and at least three words from the previous author’s work, each poet then composed a poem based on the inspiration provided by both the photo, and previous author. The poet then tagged another poet, and the process continued. Immediately following the final poem, P*TAG by Janet Wong, is a tag cloud displaying all the words that were shared among the poets. Each poet also had to write a short prose segment explaining how their work was linked not only to the previous author’s, but also to the photograph they personally selected. The layout of the book reflects this composition. The poet’s prose piece, explaining their photo choice and the inspiration derived from both the photos and previous author, appears first, followed by the actual photo, then the poem. 

The reusing of words is a creative element utilized in the composition of this anthology. At the end of each poem the words the author borrowed from the previous poet’s work are identified. Some, like Allan Wolf, Steven Withrow and Margarita Engle chose more than three words.  In certain instances words were carried over more than once, further linking the writings together, and reinforcing themes that occurred throughout the anthology. In one instance the exact same three words were repeated from one poem to next. Heidi Mordhorst first used the words “birthday,” “random” and “wish” in her poem A WISHING TREE. Mordhorst used the words to refer to the breath used to blow out birthday candles and how people tend to make wishes on very random things. Tracie Vaughn Zimmer employed those same three words, from Mordhorst’s poem, and used them to refer to a birthday cake, random postings on a blog and a wish a father has for his daughter in her poem P.K. Paul Janeczko again selected those exact three words for his poem FROM “A FRIEND.” Janeczko used them to refer to random birthday cards that expressed different wishes, and the random people to which the cards were given. In each of these three poems, the words are used to represent completely disparate ideas.

It was not only words that were borrowed, but also themes. An excellent example of this is found in WALKING, WAITING by Julie Larios and WATER LILY PONDERING by Michele Krueger. WALKING, WAITING explores the idea of not being hemmed in by your surroundings. The bird narrator in the poem expresses a deep desire to fly away and begin the adventure that is life. In contrast to this, Krueger’s WATER LILY PONDERING expressed the opposite idea. In this poem, the water lily narrator wants nothing more than to remain deeply rooted to the pond in which it lives. It is happiest simply floating peacefully, and having no greater responsibility than to bloom and be attractive for whoever may look at it.  This borrowing of words and themes creates a connectedness throughout the book. Each poem in the anthology maintaines an association with every other poem.

 This anthology was intended for a teenage audience which is demonstrated by the subject matter and tone of the poems. Topics that teens can identify with, and relate to, permeate this anthology. Themes such as love, looking to the future and self-expression are prevalent throughout the book. Kathi Appelt’s poem HIS GUITAR is a perfect example of these themes. The narrator is describing a young man playing his guitar, but read in a deeper way it could also refer to a boy holding and caressing his girlfriend. Also, Janet Wong’s poem P*TAG brings to life the idea that tagging can be a striking form of self-expression, and that those who tag are simply trying to be recognized by others.

      The poems are composed in a variety of styles including, haiku, stanzas and couplets. Most of the poems have no distinguishable rhyme scheme and are written in free verse. However, HAIR by Charles Waters is a notable exception. In this poem the last word at the end of every set of two couplets rhymes with each other. Young people are able to identify with the language used throughout the anthology. The words used help express dreams, hope, love, worry and many other topics that young people struggle with, and face, every day. Many of the poems deal with multilayered subjects, others are simply humorous. These poems truly echo the audience for which this anthology was intended.  

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

From BEACH GLASS
By: Sara Holbrook

But do they want to be picked up,

sunstruck jewels that once were bottles,

bowls, wall tiles?

Now that the novelty of the beach has

worn them down

to smooth bits of frost white,

amber, emerald, sapphire mixed with

barely blue and rarely pink.

Each shard, its own story,

particulars tossed overboard,

discarded facts disconnected from their

origins.

But, wait!

It takes slow-walking patience to fill a

pocket full of untold stories.

Brief glints never enough, I can’t resist

hands-on contact with these

fractured memories,

reaching for them quickly before the next

wave

moves in to reclaim what just might be

the most important nugget.

Some seem too small to make an

impression

in any mosaic of history,

but I collect them anyway.

Others need to gain some more

perspective,

the edges too sharp to be safely handled.

I toss those back for more research

as children skip barefoot down the

beach.

BEACH GLASS by Sara Holbrook is about pieces of objects that used to be whole, pieces that tell their own story, while still being part of a larger narrative, the original object they were broken off from. This e-book anthology is much like that. It is all about using distinct photographs, and pieces of other author’s poems, through the repeated words and themes, to create completely new poetry. Only certain photos and words are chosen, just like in Holbrook’s poem, where the narrator only chooses certain pieces of glass to keep. The words and photos not used, like the rejected pieces of glass, are not chosen because they are too rough and do not help the author express their vision. Like the words, each poem in this anthology is a piece of a whole. Each of those pieces, or poems, represents a different thought about issues relevant to teenagers.

 I would introduce this poem by saying, “The poem I am about to share with you, BEACH GLASS by Sara Holbrook, is about finding treasures that tell a story. The treasures are small and not quite whole, but they each have their own special story to tell. First, I will read you the author’s own thoughts on her work, and then I will read the poem aloud.” Sharing the author’s prose piece before reading the poem helps set up a context for the listeners. It also may help those students who have difficulty understanding poetry to grasp what the author is trying to say. Before the actual reading, I would also display the photograph, taken by Vardell, that helped inspire Holbrook’s poem, so the audience would have a visual reference for the subject matter.