Trailblazers: Poems of Exploration by Bobbi Katz - Biographical Poetry

Bibliography

Katz, Bobbi. 2007. TRAILBLAZERS: POEMS OF EXPLORATION. Ill. by Carin Berger. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780688165338.

Review and Critical Analysis           

            TRAILBLAZERS: POEMS OF EXPLORATION by Bobbi Katz is a collection of over one hundred poems that tell the stories of some of both the famous, and lesser known, explorers throughout history who often risked their lives and the lives of others to achieve extraordinary, visionary feats. Also included in this collection are a significant number of poems devoted to female explorers, and one regarding machines. The exploits of the wide variety of explorers, male, female and mechanical, that Katz examines is inspirational to young readers. There is a Table of Contents listing both the title of the poem and the explorer to whom the poem refers. At the back of the book Katz provides a wealth of resources to the reader. The Author’s Note provides the reader with a broad overview of the history of exploration. About the Explorers is an alphabetical list of short biographies of each of the individuals mentioned in the poems. There is also an in-depth Bibliography that includes books, articles and one video. Finally, Katz provides an alphabetical Index of both Titles and First Lines of each of the poems.

          The poems in this collection are written in the first person, either as a combination of voices where both the explorer and others speak, or they are written from the points of view of those who observed, or were a part of, the lives of these individuals. This adds extra depth to the collection. Because many of the poems, or parts of the poems, are written from a third party’s point of view, the reader is given a somewhat less biased account of the lives of these explorers. By not having each explorer narrate their own story, the reader is presented with a more developed picture of what life was like during the time each of these expeditions took place. OVERHEARD ON THE ENDEAVOR is a poem narrated by both James Cook and other members of his expedition to Tahiti to observe the “transit of Venus.” Each of these narrators represents a different job, thus creating a more complete picture of the expedition and its purpose. REMARKS TO SIR FRANCIS DRAKE is an example of a poem narrated completely by a third party. Queen Elizabeth I praises Drake’s actions pillaging Spanish ships on behalf of the English crown.

          The tone of the poems in this collection varies widely from humorous and enlivened, to serious and in some cases grisly. THE FIRST EXPLORERS is a poem written for two voices. It is a humorous exchange between Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Eden. ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY presents a more serious tone as the reader hears Sally Ride verifying that everything is secure and in place before the Discovery lifts off. RETURNING HOME reflects the more horrid tone. This poem is narrated from the point of view of Penelope, the daughter of Crateros who was one of Alexander the Great’s soldiers. Penelope vividly describes the death and destruction inherent in conquering a city. While not every category of poem will appeal to every reader, the broader selection of styles makes this a most enjoyable collection. 

          Two poetic forms that are used repeatedly in Katz’s anthology are poems written for two voices and those that are written in the form of journal entries. The poems written for two voices are easily identifiable because the second voice in the poem is written in italics. THE PLAN OF THE MONGOL COMMANDERS, with two narrators who were commanders in Genghis Khan’s army, and TWO VOICES HEARD ON THE DARK CONTINENT, about Henry Stanley’s encounter with Dr. Livingstone, are just two examples of the poems in this collection that were written for two voices. THE VOYAGE OF MAGELLAN DIARY ENTRIES, and WEST AFRICA NOTES, a poem narrated by African explorer Mary Kingsley, are both examples of poems in the form of diary entries. This journal entry style of poems showcases how these explorer's expeditions evolved and developed over time. Reading aloud any of the poems in this collection would be an asset to any Social Studies, Science or History lesson, however the poems in diary form, or those written for two voices, lend themselves extremely well to being performed.

          One poem in Katz’s anthology is a concrete poem. SUMMITING is a poem told from the point of view of Sir Edmund Hillary’s sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Norgay narrates his journey with Hillary ascending Mt. Everest. The poem is spread over two pages. It starts on the bottom corner of the right hand page and gradually climbs to the top corner of the left hand page, just as Hillary and Norgay scaled Mt. Everest itself.

          There is a nice balance in this collection between poems written in free verse, and those with a rhyme scheme. The majority of the poems are written in stanza form which enables readers of almost any age to be familiar with their structure. All of the poems, due to their subject matter, have an effective narrative tone. They read as mini biographies of people who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their lifetimes.

          Carin Berger’s illustrations, all drawn in black and white, are very minimal. Not every poem has an accompanying illustration, however when illustrations are present they highlight crucial elements within the poem. A BRIEF AUTOBIOGRAPHY, a poem about Ida Pfeiffer, a travel writer, has a globe as it’s illustration. VOICES HEARD ON THE WAY TO TENOCHTITLAN, about Hernando Cortés and narrated from both the Spanish and Aztec points of view, has an illustration of an Aztec temple with an accompanying figure meant to represent an Aztec warrior. The illustrations are subtle, but they help reinforce the themes within Katz’s poetry.

Poem Used to Support Critical Analysis and Follow Up Activity

From IMAGINING THE FUTURE

By: Bobbi Katz

Spirit:                                                                                      Opportunity:

Who will future explorers be?                                               Who will future explorers be?

Space orbiters like Odyssey!                                                Space orbiters like Odyssey!

And my robots like my mate and me!                                    And robots like my mate and me!

I’m Spirit.                                                                              

                                                                                           I’m Opportunity.

And we don’t beg

for snacks or meals.

                                                                                          Nor do we leap

nor do we race.

We keep a slow and steady pace.                                      We keep a slow and steady pace.

With panels powered by the sun,

                                                                                         inch by inch we’ll get things done.

Rovers: hounds of the red planet!

                                                                                        Why risk life? Let robots man it.

NASA counts on my mate and me!                                   NASA counts on my mate and me!

I’m Spirit                                                                               

                                                                                                I’m Opportunity.

          Katz’s IMAGINING THE FUTURE is the only poem not narrated by a human being. In this case it is the voices of two rovers sent on an exploratory mission to Mars. This poem was written in stanza form with a rhyme scheme wherein every set of two lines rhymes. There are also instances within the poem where lines spoken by Spirit rhyme with those spoken by Opportunity. Every individual chronicled in this anthology was, in their own way, ahead of their time, achieving extraordinary feats through ingenuity and bravery. IMAGINING THE FUTURE, and the entire collection, exemplifies the explorer’s intrepid spirit while venturing into the unknown. These two robots, illustrating the form of poem written for two voices, are the voice of future exploration. Today, the cutting edge technology of robotics is used for investigations into various locations in space as well as places on Earth, such as the deep sea.

          For a follow up activity I would engage the class in a craft project. I would have the students construct their own idea of what a planetary rover should be out of Legos. A certain amount of time would be allocated every day to the construction. There would be a project leader and they would work cooperatively with the other students. The students would be free to be as imaginative as possible with the design. They would decide where their robot would explore and what the robot was looking for. How it was designed would be completely up to the students. I would also have them name the robot and write a poem about its mission. This activity would occur over several weeks.