Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Point of View in Poetry for Young People

The “voice” of the poem has been an important component of poetry for centuries. Who is “speaking” in the poem, whose perspective or point of view is expressed is often what defines and shapes the poem. Such poems are called “persona” or “mask” poems and can present the perspective of a person, object, animal, object or idea. Here are a few poetry books in which point of view is a crucial ingredient.

            The list begins:

            Alarcón, Francisco X. 2008. Animals Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press.

Ashman, Linda. 2008. Stella, Unleashed. New York: Sterling.

Beck, Carolyn. 2009. Buttercup’s Lovely Day. Custer: Orca Books.

Engle, Margaret. 2006. The Poet Slave of Cuba. New York: Holt.

English, Karen. 2004. Speak to Me (And I Will Listen Between the Lines). New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Frost, Helen. 2003. Keesha's House. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.


For more details, get your copy of The Poetry Teacher’s Book of Lists.
And if you already have the book and would like to offer additions, corrections, or other input, please do so in the COMMENTS area. Thanks!

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