BIBLIOGRAPHYJaneczko, Paul. A Kick In the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. 2005. Ill. by Chris Raschka. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763606626
REVIEWJaneczko has selected poetry of twenty-nine different forms to complete this collection. It begins with a brief introduction that describes the importance of rules in poetry in a way that younger readers can understand. It also points out the necessity in flexibility of these rules in order to let the spirit of the words prevail. Readers will be exposed to more well known forms such as the couplet, limerick, haiku, and a sonnet, as well as read poetry in unusual forms, like a senryu, pantoum, a poem of address, and many others. Each poem is accompanied by a short explanation of the poem’s form and rules to follow when writing them. The end of this collection has more detailed information about each poetry form used, including information such as its origin, rules followed in writing, and information about the poem selected for this collection.
Readers will find a lot of figurative language and more abstract poetry than in most other poetry books for children. However, there is something for everyone, as the content, mood, and tone of the poems ranges from funny, silly, and light, to peaceful or sad. Some of the meaning in these poems may be lost on younger readers, however they will remain interested in the form of each poem and how the “rules” work to make a meaningful piece of work. Each poem lends itself to teaching how to create original poetry as well as provides entertainment to readers and listeners. The abstractness of Raschka’s brightly colored artwork done in watercolor, ink, and torn paper complements each poem well. In addition to the main illustrations, smaller pictures are found in the corner of each page, representing the poetic form written on the page. This book offers readers a complete poetic experience with riddles, stories, art, and more. After reading or listening to one or all of these poems, many children will be motivated and inspired to explore poetic rules and create their own poetry with unlimited possibilities.
SELECTION #1A Senryu - a poem similar to a Haiku, but written about human nature rather and the natural world.
By Kristine O’Connell George
First day, new school year,
backpack harbors a fossil…
Last June’s cheese sandwichSELECTION #2An Ode - a poem celebrating a person, animal, or object usually written without the constraint of formal structure or rhyme.
A selection from
Ode To Pablo’s Tennis ShoesBy Gary Soto
He wants to be
Like his shoes.
A little dirty
From the road,
A little worn
From racing to the drinking fountain
A hundred times in one day.
It takes water
To make him go,
And his shoes to get him
There. He loves his shoes,
Cloth like a sail,
Rubber like
A lifeboat on rough sea.
Pablo is tired,
Sinking into the mattress.
His eyes sting from
Grass and long words in books.
He needs eight hours
Of sleep
To cool his shoes,
The tongues hanging
Out, exhausted.
SELECTION #3A Found Poem - a poem containing words or phrases not intended as poetry but later arranged on the page as a poem.
The Paper TrailBy Georgia Heard
They fluttered from the sky like a sweet and peaceful snowstorm:
sheets and scraps - a crumpled page of cleaning instructions
with a reminder to damp-wipe smudges and smears;
a woman’s cell-phone bill;
a hand-written note on paper decorated with kitchen herbs read:
“… it would be ince to have another pot-luck dinner for parents”;
a blank check numbered 3746 neatly torn from a check-book.
Bits of paper floated into the open classroom windows,
drifted into a second floor apartment windown on Liberty Street.
At St. Paul’s Cathedral, in Lower Manhattan,
three inches blanketed the old graves.
** This Found poem was inspired by the September 11th tragedy; the paper described feel from the World Trade Center towers
AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “joyful poetry lesson, sure to be welcomed by teachers and aspiring poets everywhere.”
Starred review in BOOKLIST: “This is the introduction that will ignite enthusiasm.”
Starred review in THE HORN BOOK: “beautifully introduces the rules of poetry on a variety of literary playing fields.”
CONNECTIONS:* After reading any of these poems, discuss the rules of the poetic form used and how the poem followed or detracted from the rules.
* Introduce new and unusual poetic forms with any of these poems and have the students write their own (focus on one, a couple, favorites, or many of the forms included in the book)
