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Comparison Chart of Selected Collections of Themed Poetry for Teenagers (Teenage Aging and Development, Childhood Aging and

Development, Asian Americans, Mexican and Latino Americans, African Americans, Issues of Injustice, Sports, Death, Love, and Driving)

Setting
Blue Lipstick and other Concrete Poems By John Grandits
No specific setting is mentioned . Poems occur at home and at school of a modern day teen.

Plot Structure
An introduction to the life of Jessie. Poems center around everyday events such as waking up, getting to school, suffering through class, stomaching pep rallies, and dealing with her younger brother. As the book progresses, Jessie matures and comes to further understand and appreciate the people and events in her life. A glimpse into Roberts unchanging point of view, typical for kids his age. Poems center around Roberts imagination, kicked into overdrive by everyday events such as riding the bus, doing chores, and watching tv. Like most children his age, Robert takes center stage in a cast of family members and friends that are

Characte Style rization


Jessie a 15 year old high school student Jesse uses this book as a diary. Her point of view is shown through a series of concrete poetry (where the poem itself is shaped into a picture) Free verse, metered verse, and haiku are featured written in narrative stream of consciousness Sarcastic, witty tone and sharp monologues

Theme
Teenagers: Aging and Development Depicts adolescent themes such as family, friendship, boys, popularity and dealing with the pressures of school and life. Jesse learns to cope by creating her own sense of style, which ultimately helps her to mature.

Motifs
Identity and stereotyping *Zombie Jocks, Pep Rally, Girls Communication Explores internal and socially constructed walls of communication *The Wall, The Wall: Revisited Relationships and Sibling Rivalry Explores themes of maturity and understanding family relationships. *Talking to My Stupid Younger Brother, My Brother the Genius

Technica lly Its Not my Fault By John Grandits

No specific setting is mentioned . Poems occur at home, at school, and in Roberts imaginatio n. .

Robert An 11 year old kid; Jessies younger brother

Features metered verse and word repetition laid out in concrete poetry pictures. Witty, obnoxious tone accompanies hilarious comedic interpretations of everyday events

Children: Aging and Development A dynamic set of poems that capture the crude, yet imaginative nature of a young child. This book explores the themes of inner imagination and how Robert and other kids relate being immersed in the grown-up world around them.

Identity Explores sense of self, emphasizing connectedness with ones inner and outer world *The Cast, Nothin, Drawkcab Relationships and Communication Explores the often one-sided conversations between grown-up and child *Where New Words Come From, Sleepover Conversations, Skateboard

an annoying, but vital part of his life.

Sibling Rivalry *Its Not Fair, How We Ended Up with Plain Pizza Janet Wong Author and poet. Born in America to a Korean mother, and a Chinese father. Each section in this book, uses its own unique form of poetry. The first two sections use classic forms of Korean and Chinese verse to shape her memories pertaining to each culture. The last section uses traditional forms of Old English rhyme and meter to show how she reconciles her familys past with life as an American. Asian American Culture The two major themes that Wong uses to weave three cultures together are food and family. She likens her family to a quilt of odd remnants patched together. Staying in America, she watches how that quilt is frayed and worn thin. The title, A Suitcase Full of Seaweed describes how food unites their Chinese and Korean heritage and keeps it alive while living in America. African American Culture The driving theme in this book is hope in the face of circumstance including the promise and letdowns of the American Dream. It is felt in the voices of the characters as they explore deep emotions of fear, anger, surprise, sadness, joy, and love. These emotions all work together to convey Cultural Identity *Beat, Straight As, Beefbone Soup American Dream *Lotto, When I Grow Up Interdependent Family and Relationships *Quilt, Joyces Beauty Salon , Love at First Sight, At the Hospital Food used to represent cultural heritage and explore customs and values *Manners, A Suitcase of Seaweed, Grandmothers Almond Cookies Cultural Identity *African Poems, What Color is Black African American archetype *My People, Listen Children, American dream *From Riot Rimes USA #78, Dream Deferred Nature, connects Africans to their roots Education vs. Ignorance and Racism

A Pocketfu l of Seaweed By Janet Wong

Set in the late 1960s. Poems take place in Wongs old childhood home, located in Los Angeles.

This collection of poems is Janet Wongs memoir of growing up with her unique cultural ties. The book is divided into three sections: Korean culture, Chinese culture, and American culture. Wong shows how her family, although diverse in backgrounds, stays connected with their unique cultural heritage and with each other.

My Black Me: A Beginnin g Book of Black Poetry Edited by Arnold Adoff

Set in Black America. And occur along a time span from the days of slavery in the 1800s to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

Various authors capture the essence of what it means to be young and black. Deals with various issues such as education, childhood memories and events, family, elegies of famous African Americans, and racism.

Features a small list of influential poets writing from the perspectiv e of small black children and youth. Featured Poets are: Langston Hughes Virginia Hamilton Sam Cornish

Short length poems that feature a wide range of styles including free verse, blank verse (in rhyme and iambic pentameter), and metered verse. Also features examples of sonnet, elegy, lyric, ode, and pastoral Poems frequently uses repition and the rhythm of short syllables to mimic the mind of a young child. Mispelled words

Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino Edited by Lori Marie Carlson

Takes place in Hispanic communit ies across the United States. Set in the present day (book was published in 2005),

Various Mexican and Latino authors capture the essence of what it means to be young and Hispanic American.

Mae Jackson Imamu Amiri Baraka Nikki Giovanni William Harris James Emanuel Lucille Clifton Features a sampling of poems from influential Hispanic poets who write from a Hispanic teenagers perspectiv e. Featured Poets are: Gary Soto Sandra Maria Estevez Will Perdomo Gina Valdes Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. Michelle Seros Sandra Castillo Marilyn Nelson reflects on Emmett Tills death and offers her reflections on racism and speaking

are used to represent illiteracy of black children.

the multifaceted archetype of the African American.

*Ten Years Old, , It Aint No, Portrait Interdependent Family and Relationships *Black People, Monument in Black

Long length poems which written mostly in free verse. Poems appear both English and Spanish. In her translations, Carlson fuses the romance and passion of the Spanish language with English. The result is beautiful flow of words, colored by well-known Spanish phrases and cognates. The use of words and imagery is captivating. Alliteration and assonance abound!

Hispanic and Latino Culture This book is deals with five themes: language and identity, home, love, family, and victory (grouped by section). The resounding idea in each poem is that freedom that comes from a sense of cultural belonging and the parts of Latino culture that are vital to ones identity.

Cultural Identity For Bert Corona Language and Identity *Spanish, Bilingual Love Poem Hispanic American Archetype Prejudice and Racism *I Am Who I Am, So What?, Piece by Piece Interdependent Family and Relationships *Martin and My Father Food Used to represent cultural heritage and skin color *The Hands, I Am from Quisquella la Bella. Christian Martyrdom Emmet compared to Christ on the cross *Mutilated Boy Martyr Emmets mother compared to Mary *Your Only Child

A Wreath for Emmett Till By Marilyn Nelson

Centered around the year 1955 when Emmett Till was lynched for whistling at a white woman

A Wreath for Emmett explores Nelsons struggle with the tragedy and the social repercussions of the event. Poems detail the night that Emmett died, what his

The story is told through a heroic crown of fifteen interlinking sonnets with Italian rhyme scheme. Her imagery and word choices speak of pain,

Social Injustice A Wreath for Emmett Till is told with the conviction of one convinced of the wrongs of injustice. The theme

mother must have gone through, how Nelson thinks Emmett should have been remembered, and Emmetts connection to past and present injustices in our nations history.

out against injustice.

sorrow, regret, remembering, and the struggle for meaning in his death.

revolves around the psychological effects of social injustice on the individual and cultural psyche. Nelson concurs that it is our responsibility to speak out against injustice (despite social repercussions), lest we become slaves to fear and suffer the murderous consequences of future disasters like 9/11. Death and Dying Nikki Grimes consulted with specialized psychologists for this work. She uses each family member to show a different way of coping. Emphasizing the theme of wholeness and interdependence, her characters learn that their individual grief does not have to result in a disconnected family.

Dual nature of history Reconciling our nations proud history with the atrocities that have been committed. *Trillium, Apple Blossoms Trees, symbol of crucifixion Thorns, symbols of the pain and hatred Flowers, symbol of remembrance Forget-menots

What Is Goodbye By Nikki Grimes

The setting takes place at the home and school. The year and location are intentional ly left out so that readers will find it easier to relate using their own circumsta nces.

Two young children, Jesse and his older sister Jerilyn find out they have lost their older brother. The children, and their parents, each deal with the death in their own way. This is the story of their journey through the grief process as they try to piece their lives back together.

Jesse, a 10 year old boy, acts out Jerilyn, his older sister, tries to be tough and strong on the inside The parents continue their daily lives, grieving in private. The family is Jewish.

Free verse poetry that uses rhyme and repetition instead of meter to achieve rhythm. Emotionally charged responses and imagery told from two different perspectives.

Loss of Identity *Regrets Jesse Grief Process Lately - Jesse, Mad, Rush Meaning of Life *What is Goodbye, Anniversary Family relationships and Communication *Lately, Places, Out of Nowhere, Catching a Glimpse Independence vs. Interdependency *Painless, Night Noise, Connection Anthropomorphis m (humans are given animal-like qualities)

Hoops By Robert Burleigh

Set in the present at a basketball court at a local park

Hoops is a picture book illustrated around a single poem written by Robert Burleigh in which he describes a game of basketball.

No specific characters. Just some boys hanging out and shootin hoops.

Free verse poetry loaded with imagery, sensory detail, and literary devices designed to stimulate the senses, Also uses language elements such as

Sports The poem uses anthropomorphic themes, describing the boys using characteristics of different animals

Hoops uses the words and dynamic illustration to convey the feel of the game in image and sound.

alliteration, allusion, and syllable stresses to establish rhythm.

to describe the way they play the game The effect of the poem reads very much like a poetry slam as the noises of the game are brought to life through word sounds and images.

Notes Created by Joyce Elizabeth Reid

Poetry Terms *For a complete list and explanation of poetry styles and terms, please visit the following website: http//www.depts.g allaudet.edu/ englishworks/liter ature/poetry. html

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