Poetry!

As an elementary student, I loved when we would study poetry. My favorite poet of all time was Shel Silverstein. His poems always made me laugh and I would go home to recite them to my parents. I constantly recited Sick Day and begged my mom for a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends so I could read it over and over again. To this day I still love humorous poetry and prefer it to all other kinds. For the longest time I thought poetry was only words grouped together that rhymed and were about silly topics. However, as my understanding of poetry matured, I did not enjoy it as much as an elementary student. Beowulf and Paradise Lost discouraged me from further expanding my scope of poetry and dreaded when it would be introduced to a unit.

A Family of Poems is no exception to this. I was expecting light hearted poetry suited for all ages, but mostly children. Many of the poems within this book confused me or their meanings were heavier than what I was willing to understand, for example, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and Hope Is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson. Poetry is a beautiful form of expression, and I think it is wonderful that authors try to convey intense emotion and meanings when writing, but for me poetry is an escape from the complications of life. I do not want to complicate mine any further by reading it.

Also, A Family of Poems surprised me because I think that most of the poetry is suited for children. Many of the poems are by authors that I did not study until high school or college. I am not sure that I would use this poetry book to read to my children. There are a few nonsensical humorous poems, but for the most part I do not think that this book was entertaining. When I have kids, I think I will want to read them something a little more light-hearted. The poems in this book could be unpacked for deeper meaning. However, the illustrations were beautiful and did add to the poem when I felt it was lacking. A great example of this is on pages forty six and forty seven when the poetry is about frogs and the background is a green pond. All in all, the poems in here are well known, well written, and popular, but they are not my favorites. I am not sure that I want to hold onto this book.