Seeing the Blue Between

Janeczko, Paul B. (comp.) Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiratino for Young Poets. Candlewick Press, 2002. ISBN 0-7636-0881-5


Do other poets feel this way? How do I get started writing poetry? I need some advice! Well, just read this book! Compiled by Paul B. Janeczko, you will find letters and advice from poets written to you, the new poet. Each poet shares their experiences and challenges through their letters to the new writers and give advice on how to find your poetic voice and express your thoughts and feelings in new ways. In addition to the good advice you'll find, you can also read some of the poets' works. The poetry itself presents a wide range of topics, types, and styles. Every mood seems to be represented as well. The topics range from bad poems, bugs, and even being eaten by a shark. As a reader, you will see rhyming poetry, free verse, and concrete poems that range in mood from playful to sad. At the end, you can even peek further into the poets' lives in the notes section. There is much to read and discover in this book. If you want to gain the experiences of the experts, this is the book to dive into.

I would use this book to create a collaborative lesson with a writing teacher. I would begin first by reading simple poems that the children may have already heard already, a couple of funny poems and a couple of more serious poems by various authors. I would read a couple of bits of advice from the book, then I would then ask the students to write a poem of their own. The next class, I would ask them to evaluate their own poems and their writing process. Did they like how it felt to write? What would they have done differently? Was it hard to express your thoughts in poetry? I would then read a couple of the letters of advice from the book and, time allowing, I would read their poems as well. I would then have the students go back and re-evaluate their works, edit, and/or rewrite. When they felt as if they had a cultivated work, they would turn it in and/or share with the class.

One of the pieces of advice I would share before the students write is from Jack Prelutsky. He says "Exaggerate...Make the ordinary special...Your ideas are more important than trying to make a perfect rhyming poem. Your poem should have a sense of rhythm-it should sound like a song and have a repeating beat like a soft drum tap. BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE THE LINES RHYME!!!"

One of the poems I would share would be from Lilliam Morrison.
"The Boxing Match"

Two bushes have come to blows.
The wind is egging them on.
Their shadows are boxing here on the rug
In a broad strip of sun.

Wham, wham, they bob and weave,
Then abruptly the battle is done.
The wind has rushed to another arena.
Nobody hurt. Nobody won.