BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wong, Janet S. 1994. GOOD LUCK GOLD AND OTHER POEMS. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0689506171.
PLOT SUMMARY
Janet Wong has written a selection of (mostly) rhyming poetry discussing the experiences of first and second generation immigrant children, particularly those of Asian heritage. Topics range from the symbolism of green jade jewelry to racial discrimination experienced in the school yard to divorce, alcoholism, family traditions and family responsibilities. Each poem in the GOOD LUCK GOLD collection is titled, and the lengths vary, though none is longer than a single page. Their order is not linear nor from a single person’s point of view, but the message in each is strong. A youth asking the author to say some words in Korean doesn’t understand that the poem’s protagonist doesn’t speak the language. When she asks that a few words be spoken in return, the youth denies, “But I was born here.” And she replies, “So was I.”
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Eye-opening, enlightening, and honest, these poems are easy to understand, and paint clear pictures of challenges overcome, and perspectives gained from the author’s own experiences with racism and multicultural households. Poetry styles range from a single paragraph without rhyme or steady rhythm to longer sonnets, to conversational poetry meant for two people to read in character to haiku.
The majority of included poems are even better when read aloud, and are accessible to children from upper elementary through high school, sparking awareness of racism as it is experienced by children today. Many poems in the collection also provide a window into some of the traditions and metaphors enjoyed by Chinese and Korean families, and discuss different ways to view and respond to unfair treatment and dangerous situations. For example, Wong speaks to the caged ducks at the bottom of a clawing smothering pile—“Though waiting at the bottom’s tough, just when you have had enough you’ll see the butcher’s hands reach in—and trust me, you’re the ones who win.” A metaphor for the struggles and discrimination faced by many new Americans, the ducks on top don’t realize how dangerously exposed they are to the one who controls their fate, while the ducks on the bottom will win out with longer lives and more chances for happiness in the end.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “Children who live in cities with Chinese-American populations will recognize some of the images described--the ducks hanging in grocery-store windows, dim sum stands, parades with firecrackers and dragons. For others, these pieces provide an introduction to the sights and sounds of Chinese-American neighborhoods.”
Booklist: “Fresh, honest, and not at all reverential, these poems are simple dramatic monologues about growing up Asian American. The lines are short and very easy to read; the voices are strongly personal.”
CONNECTIONS
==> This collection is a great jumping off point for research into new American experiences, Asian-American culture and traditions, and multi-ethnic households.
==> This book offers great opportunities for children to experience multiple formats for poetry in an engaging and easy to understand collection. Explore different poetic styles, encourage the children to write their own poetry about racism seen or experienced in their own lives, using one of the forms discussed.
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2007
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Aleutian Sparrow
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 2003. ALEUTIAN SPARROW. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0689861893.
PLOT SUMMARY
Karen Hesse weaves chapters of a common story together through her poetic retelling of the Aleutian refugee experiences of 1942-45. Presented in chronological order, each poem recounts a different experience and emotion from the perspective of a young Aleutian girl maturing into a woman as everything familiar and comforting is torn away. Hesse’s sparse verses paint strong pictures for the reader—of struggle, of intolerance, sickness and loss… and yet also of hope. Many islanders do survive their relocation from grass and sea to forest and city, and are able to return to their homes—what is left of them—after the war. The old ways are remembered by many, and a few pieces of the old life do survive the American occupation of the islands. Although Vera, the protagonist, loses her family to sickness and the draw of city life, and her best friend to TB, she gains in self-reliance, and finds new family to start over with upon her return to the Aleutian Islands.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Aleutian experience is particularly well-suited to the poetic medium, as many of the songs and stories that sustain these resourceful people are allusions to the lives these resourceful people lead on the islands.
One poem recounts a legend in which the Russians, and not the Japanese, invaded the islands. At that time there was one ancient tree growing on the islands, and the Aleutian Sparrows lived in it and danced around it on the wind. When the Russians came, they cut down the tree, and built all their homes from it—and they all lived short lives and died mysterious deaths—but the sparrow still dances in the wind. The astute reader will recognize that the metaphorical meaning of the story is that the Aleutian people will continue to dance and sing, no matter what is taken from them.
As the story progresses, the reader knows only what Vera herself is aware of—so the reader is able to learn the hard lessons of struggle, of loss, and of the scars war leaves on the land with Vera herself. It is a sad story, with few friendly outsiders to help them, and fewer resources to work with—yet part of this story’s strength is that there is no bitterness, but only sadness and aching for times past, on the part of the heroine. Hesse does a great job of illustrating the many challenges—from racism to dealing with unfamiliar weather and unfamiliar terrain—that are a part of the refugee experience.
Hesse also chooses not to discuss emotions directly, but rather to show them by her choice of words, and by the experiences as they are lived by the protagonist, Vera. Some poems show a moment in time—Vera’s first experience with the Northern Lights—others show a moment that the reader infers must be part of a broader pattern of experience—the Aleuts who turn to drink to numb their pain, or the way a sick baby is cared for by the whole community, and sung to sleep once it has died.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “Hesse's verses are short and flow seamlessly, one into another. Her use of similes is a powerful tool in describing people, scenes, events, and emotions.”
The Horn Book: “The sparseness of the verse seems to have limited the amount of background information the author was able to impart--of crucial importance when tackling a subject so unfamiliar to most readers.”
CONNECTIONS
==> Discuss what makes these non-rhyming verses poetic. What is gained by the use of this medium?
==> Encourage readers to find other books about refugee experiences in America, or another country, and discuss how the style of writing changes the impact of the story.
Hesse, Karen. 2003. ALEUTIAN SPARROW. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0689861893.
PLOT SUMMARY
Karen Hesse weaves chapters of a common story together through her poetic retelling of the Aleutian refugee experiences of 1942-45. Presented in chronological order, each poem recounts a different experience and emotion from the perspective of a young Aleutian girl maturing into a woman as everything familiar and comforting is torn away. Hesse’s sparse verses paint strong pictures for the reader—of struggle, of intolerance, sickness and loss… and yet also of hope. Many islanders do survive their relocation from grass and sea to forest and city, and are able to return to their homes—what is left of them—after the war. The old ways are remembered by many, and a few pieces of the old life do survive the American occupation of the islands. Although Vera, the protagonist, loses her family to sickness and the draw of city life, and her best friend to TB, she gains in self-reliance, and finds new family to start over with upon her return to the Aleutian Islands.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Aleutian experience is particularly well-suited to the poetic medium, as many of the songs and stories that sustain these resourceful people are allusions to the lives these resourceful people lead on the islands.
One poem recounts a legend in which the Russians, and not the Japanese, invaded the islands. At that time there was one ancient tree growing on the islands, and the Aleutian Sparrows lived in it and danced around it on the wind. When the Russians came, they cut down the tree, and built all their homes from it—and they all lived short lives and died mysterious deaths—but the sparrow still dances in the wind. The astute reader will recognize that the metaphorical meaning of the story is that the Aleutian people will continue to dance and sing, no matter what is taken from them.
As the story progresses, the reader knows only what Vera herself is aware of—so the reader is able to learn the hard lessons of struggle, of loss, and of the scars war leaves on the land with Vera herself. It is a sad story, with few friendly outsiders to help them, and fewer resources to work with—yet part of this story’s strength is that there is no bitterness, but only sadness and aching for times past, on the part of the heroine. Hesse does a great job of illustrating the many challenges—from racism to dealing with unfamiliar weather and unfamiliar terrain—that are a part of the refugee experience.
Hesse also chooses not to discuss emotions directly, but rather to show them by her choice of words, and by the experiences as they are lived by the protagonist, Vera. Some poems show a moment in time—Vera’s first experience with the Northern Lights—others show a moment that the reader infers must be part of a broader pattern of experience—the Aleuts who turn to drink to numb their pain, or the way a sick baby is cared for by the whole community, and sung to sleep once it has died.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “Hesse's verses are short and flow seamlessly, one into another. Her use of similes is a powerful tool in describing people, scenes, events, and emotions.”
The Horn Book: “The sparseness of the verse seems to have limited the amount of background information the author was able to impart--of crucial importance when tackling a subject so unfamiliar to most readers.”
CONNECTIONS
==> Discuss what makes these non-rhyming verses poetic. What is gained by the use of this medium?
==> Encourage readers to find other books about refugee experiences in America, or another country, and discuss how the style of writing changes the impact of the story.
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