1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2007. THIS IS JUST TO SAY: POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS. Ill by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618616802
2. PLOT SUMMARY
As part of a poetry unit, sixth-grade students in Mrs. Merz' class read "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. The "I'm sorry, but it was so good" attitude of the poem inspires the class to create their own "Sorry" poems to persons (or non-persons) they had offended. One of the students, Anthony K., proposes the idea that perhaps those who receive the letters can write response poems, and hence the two part book of "Poems of Apology and Forgiveness."
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sidman's fictional class is inspiring. Mrs. Merz and her class express their agonizing guilt, hurts, and regrets in haiku, pantoums, and rhyme. The lines and structure of the of the poems create a genuine authenticity to a population of ideal middle school students. A majority of the poems are written in free verse, but an explanation is offered as an Author's Note under "Spelling Bomb." The student editor adds a footnote to explain the greater importance of a poem: "Author's Note: This is my favorite poem form, called pantoum. . . . It is also supposed to rhyme, but Mrs. Merz says rhymes are not as important as meaning."
Sidman's use of literary elements rely strongly on sensory images. From the sweet, gloppy, powdered doughnuts in Thomas' poem to Tenzin's description of watching his dog's last moments of life, "You looked like you were sleeping./Your nose was still wet./Your ears were still silky." The final poem, "Ode to Slow-Hand," also appeals to the senses as it describes the class lizard now deceased: "his skin: rough green cloth/the color of new leaves/his belly: soft as an old balloon/his tongue: lightning's flicker."
The author also packs the entire selection of poems with strong emotions: humor, regret, insecurity, and death. The inclusion of raw emotions that everyone of us must have felt at some time in our lives draws out the desire to send an apology note of our own.
Sidman's use of literary elements rely strongly on sensory images. From the sweet, gloppy, powdered doughnuts in Thomas' poem to Tenzin's description of watching his dog's last moments of life, "You looked like you were sleeping./Your nose was still wet./Your ears were still silky." The final poem, "Ode to Slow-Hand," also appeals to the senses as it describes the class lizard now deceased: "his skin: rough green cloth/the color of new leaves/his belly: soft as an old balloon/his tongue: lightning's flicker."
The author also packs the entire selection of poems with strong emotions: humor, regret, insecurity, and death. The inclusion of raw emotions that everyone of us must have felt at some time in our lives draws out the desire to send an apology note of our own.
4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
Claudia Lewis Award, 2008
Cybil Award, 2007
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2008
Cybil Award, 2007
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2008
Carol Gearhart (Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2008)
This book contains poems about apologies and forgiveness. Part One are the apologies written by Mrs. Mertz's sixth grade class. Part Two are the responses. The title of the book comes from a poem by William Carlos Williams. This could be used as a stimulus for students to write poetry.
This book contains poems about apologies and forgiveness. Part One are the apologies written by Mrs. Mertz's sixth grade class. Part Two are the responses. The title of the book comes from a poem by William Carlos Williams. This could be used as a stimulus for students to write poetry.
Randall Enos (Booklist, May 15, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 18))
Some poems are humorous, some are sad; some poets are deeply sorry, some aren't; and some kids are forgiven, whileothers are not. Topics include such things as rough play in dodgeball, stealing brownies, breaking a cherished item, and the death of a pet. The quirky illustrations, created with a variety of media, collage, and computer graphics, give a lighthearted feel to the anthology. The fictional authors of the poems are featured in various activities relating to the subject of the poems and provide a very pleasant balance to the text. Children will find much to identify with in the situations presented in the apology poems, and they'll appreciate the resolutions given in the responses.
Some poems are humorous, some are sad; some poets are deeply sorry, some aren't; and some kids are forgiven, whileothers are not. Topics include such things as rough play in dodgeball, stealing brownies, breaking a cherished item, and the death of a pet. The quirky illustrations, created with a variety of media, collage, and computer graphics, give a lighthearted feel to the anthology. The fictional authors of the poems are featured in various activities relating to the subject of the poems and provide a very pleasant balance to the text. Children will find much to identify with in the situations presented in the apology poems, and they'll appreciate the resolutions given in the responses.
5. CONNECTIONS
*Read other poetry by Joyce Sidman, such as:
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
Song of the Water Boatman
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
Song of the Water Boatman
*Visit Joyce Sidman's webpage for help on how to write your own "sorry" poem: http://www.joycesidman.com/teachers/poetry-ideas/
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