This Is Just to Say
By Joyce Sidman
Cover image retrieved 4/15/13
from
Bibliography
Sidman, Joyce,
and Pamela Zagarenski. This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2007. ISBN 9780618616800
Critical
Analysis
Modeled after the
pioneering work of teacher and poet Kenneth Koch, This Is Just to Say is a fictional collaborative body of work,
supposedly by the students of the author. The premise here is that students
have written letters of apology for past misdeeds. The topics range from
playful (a tussle during a game in PE) to serious (an apology to a father from
the daughter who believes he left home because she was not good enough.) the
range of topics is a realistic blend, mirroring the lives of a typical class.
The variety of moods is essential to the overall impact of this volume of
poetry: not too sappy or trivial, not too serious or heavy. Each poem is
carefully crafted, with aptly chosen words that lend appropriate emotional
impact.
The different voices
and styling of these poems create a consistent flow of meaning, rhythm, and
sound. The reader would never have a chance to become bored with the
collection, since each is on a different topic, of differing length, and with
differing intensity. Readers will find many examples of figurative language, as
the imaginary writers of the poems employ the use of rich adjectives and
descriptive language.
Poems in this volume
are arranged into two sections: apologies and responses. In a clever twist,
each author delivered his/her poem to the intended recipient and asked for a
response in poem form. Responses for a couple of poems were supposedly written
by a classmate, such as a poem from a statue in response to an apology for
rubbing its nose, since the object obviously could not write the response. A
table of contents at the beginning of the book allows the reader to locate
response poems easily, to read one immediately after reading the apology. The
book definitely accomplishes its purpose of delivering a creative, fresh look at
the angst and issues of sixth grade students. Late elementary to middle school
readers will enjoy these poems and their creative, multi-dimensional
illustrations.
Book
Reviews
Randall Enos (Booklist,
May 15, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 18))
The different voices
and styling of these poems create a consistent flow of meaning, rhythm, and
sound. The reader would never have a chance to become bored with the
collection, since each is on a different topic, of differing length, and with
differing intensity. Readers will find many examples of figurative language, as
the imaginary writers of the poems employ the use of rich adjectives and
descriptive language.
Poems in this volume
are arranged into two sections: apologies and responses. In a clever twist,
each author delivered his/her poem to the intended recipient and asked for a
response in poem form. Responses for a couple of poems were supposedly written
by a classmate, such as a poem from a statue in response to an apology for
rubbing its nose, since the object obviously could not write the response. A
table of contents at the beginning of the book allows the reader to locate
response poems easily, to read one immediately after reading the apology. The
book definitely accomplishes its purpose of delivering a creative, fresh look at
the angst and issues of sixth grade students. Late elementary to middle school
readers will enjoy these poems and their creative, multi-dimensional
illustrations.
Book
Reviews
Randall Enos (Booklist,
May 15, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 18))
Book
Awards
Claudia Lewis Award,
2008 Winner United States
Cybil Award, 2007
Winner Poetry United States
Lee Bennett Hopkins
Poetry Award, 2008 Honor Book United States
Best
Book Lists
Best Children’s Books
of the Year, 2008 ; Bank Street College of Education; Outstanding Merit; United
States
Choices, 2008 ;
Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States
School Library Journal
Best Books, 2007 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal
Book Review Stars, May 2007 ; Cahners; United States
Teachers’ Choices, 2008
; International Reading Association; United States
Poetry
Break!
Spotlight
Poem
Poetry
Break!
Spotlight
Poem
Poem of apology:
What Was I Thinking?
Wow, am I really in the
principal’s office?
She is bigger than I
thought.
Is that a gray hair on
her neck?
Her dress is the color
of ripe plums.
She is asking so many questions!
I have such a bad
feeling in my stomach.
Bao Vang is my best friend.
She is always laughing.
She was laughing when she hit the fire alarm.
It was an accident! She was just fooling around!
The principal’s eyes
are like hot sparks.
My parents will be so
angry.
They will yell and
yell.
My mouth is opening!
I’m blabbing about Bao
Vang and the fire alarm!
I can’t believe this is
happening!
The principal sends me
away.
I slink out like a
whipped dog.
Bao Vang: my best
friend.
I told on her, then pretended I hadn’t.
Will she ever forgive me?
By Mai Lee
Response Poem:
The River of Forgiveness
Here I am,
reading Mai Lee’s poem.
I am wading into the
river of forgiveness.
Thinking of alarm
bells,
of breaking glass, of
confusion,
and the fear that
crushes your heart
when you’ve done
something wrong.
I feel cold and alone,
fighting
the water as it pulls
at me and fills my eyes.
Will I ever make it
across?
I keep thinking of a
friend
who helped explain the
world,
whose arm is always
around my shoulder,
a friend who stands
with me in the crowd.
There she is – my
friend,
on the other side of
the river.
She’s the one looking
worried
when I cough and choke,
the one about to jump
in after me.
But wait – my feet are
touching!
I’ve reached the sandy
bank!
I’ve crossed the river
of forgiveness.
I open my arms to her.
By Bao Vang
Learning
Extensions
Introduction:
·
Preselect
two students to practice and present each of the poems in this set.
·
Set up the
reading by asking students to listen to the presentation to see which student
they most identify with.
·
Have two
students share these poems orally.
Extension:
·
Facilitate
group discussion of which of the poems students most closely identify with, and
why.
·
Extend
discussion to include how it feels to be on each side of the situation.
·
Ask
students to reread the selections, as students listen with fresh ears after the
discussion.
Other
books by Joyce Sidman
Author’s website: http://www.joycesidman.com/
Like the Air
Just Us Two: Poems
about Animal Dads
Eureka!: Poems about
Inventors
The World According to
Dog: Poems and Teen Voices
Song of the Water
Boatman: Pond Poems
Meow Ruff: A Story in
Concrete Poetry
Butterfly Eyes and
Other Secrets of the Meadow
This Is Just to Say: Poems
of Apology and Forgiveness
Red Sings From
Treetops: A Year in Colors
Dark Emperor and Other
Poems of the Night
Ubiquitous: Celebrating
Nature’s Survivors
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals
in Nature
Like the Air
Just Us Two: Poems
about Animal Dads
Eureka!: Poems about
Inventors
The World According to
Dog: Poems and Teen Voices
Song of the Water
Boatman: Pond Poems
Meow Ruff: A Story in
Concrete Poetry
Butterfly Eyes and
Other Secrets of the Meadow
This Is Just to Say: Poems
of Apology and Forgiveness
Red Sings From
Treetops: A Year in Colors
Dark Emperor and Other
Poems of the Night
Ubiquitous: Celebrating
Nature’s Survivors
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals
in Nature
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