Book Review: *Poetry Speaks Who I Am* edited by Elise Paschen

Poetry Speaks Who I Am: poems of discovery, inspiration, independence, and everything else… editor: Elise Paschen, series editor: Dominique Raccah

Back-of-the-book blurb:  Poetry Speaks Who I Am is filled with more than 100 remarkable poems about you, who you are, and who you are becoming. Dive in – find the poem you love, the one that makes you angry, the one that makes you laugh, the one that knocks the wind out of you, and become a part of this book by adding your own poems inside the book.

Poetry can be life altering. It can be gritty and difficult. It can be hilarious or heart-breaking. And it’s meant to be experienced, so we’ve included a CD on which you’ll hear 44 poems, 39 of which are original recordings-you’ll only find them here. You’ll hear poets both classic and contemporary, well-known and refreshingly new.

She is Too Fond of Books’ review:  April is National Poetry Month; let’s spread the word about this fantastic anthology for tweens!  Poetry Speaks Who I Am is a collection of over 100 poems selected specifically for adolescents, tweens and young teens who may connect with the many varied voices.

Poets they may have studied in school are here (e.e. cummings, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe), as well as contemporary voices (Billy Collins, Langston Hughes, and the late Lucille Clifton).  However, as editor Elise Paschen indicates in her Introduction to the adolescent reader:

This is not a poetry anthology for adults, for children, for classroom study, or for required memorization and recitation.  It’s made just for you.

The accompanying CD is fantastic, and added to my enjoyment and understanding of the featured poems.  Many are read by the poets themselves, and some include introductions that share inspiration. 

The journal/collage tone of the cover is carried throughout the book; doodles and inkblots mark the pages.  These don’t distract from the poems, they add a sense of casual comfort.  A dozen similarly styled pages in the back of the book encourage young readers to add their own poetry.

Sonya Sanchez introduces her Haiku (written from Peking), which was written after she phoned home while on a trip to China.  “It’s Monday morning” she told her children, who insisted that it was indeed Sunday where they were.  The poem is a gift and a hope for her family:

let me wear the day
well so when it reaches you
you will enjoy it

This was the only overt connection I made for my own children.  My husband was in Asia this week, and the poem fits so perfectly into our discussions about time zones, geography, and wonders of Skype.  I played this track for my kids, and we (all ages) talked specifically about this Haiku, and about poetry in general.

Other than that one discussion, I’m taking a hands-off approach with this wonderful volume.  I’ve read through it twice myself, and have played the CD in the car several times (with kids in tow).  It’s now on the family room table, and my older two (ages 12 and “almost 14″ pick it up and read a few poems at a time.  Some of the poems address topics that they may be curious about (or uncomfortable with): changing bodies, growing responsibilities, and young love. 

We have lots of children’s poetry books – traditional nursery rhymes, contemporary verses, silly and outrageous stories told in verse.  Poetry Speaks Who I Am is a timely and much-needed addition to the bookcase for my older kids.