America at War




selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
illustrated by Stephen Alcorn

cover by Barnes & Noble

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. America at War: poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Ill. Stephen Alcorn. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-41691-832-5.

Poetic Elements

Poetic elements are utilized throughout this collection and are as various as the authors themselves. From the rhythm in “Stanzas”

Eyes of men running, falling, screaming

Eyes of men shouting, sweating, bleeding

to the imagery in “The Whippoorwill Calls,”

No one sees her

Hiding

In the woods

By day

For she is like

A whippoorwill

Blending into leaves

On the forest floor.

these poets depict the emotional impact warfare has on our society, young and old.

Appeal

Although wartime may not necessarily be a popular topic with children or young people, it is a topic most are familiar with in one way or another. If children have not experienced personal loss due to war, they probably know someone who has. This collection by Lee Bennett Hopkins will certainly enrich one’s insight or knowledge of the effects of war and stimulate the emotions and imagination of the audience.

Overall Quality

I am not sure I am a competent enough judge of poetry to comment on the quality of poetry included in this anthology; however, the fact that the poems were selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, one of America’s most distinguished poets and anthologists would indicate a very high level of quality. Mr. Hopkins did include familiar poets as well as new poets and all of the poems included are compatible with and reinforce the purpose of the book,  “about the poetry of war.”

The Poets

In addition to works from numerous celebrated poets, this volume collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins contains over thirty new poems specifically commissioned for this anthology from contemporary poets.

Layout

The book is divided into eight sections in which warfare is depicted in poetry from the American Revolution to the Iraqi War. Each section is preceded by the name of the war, a timeline, a prominent quote from the era, and a brief description of the cause, effect, and outcome of the war.  Watercolor illustrations in various styles by internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker, Stephen Alcorn, complement each poem and further invoke the raw emotions expressed by the poets in this anthology. Hopkins also included a table of contents, introduction, prologue, epilogue, and index of authors, titles and first lines. The epilogue is in the form of a poem by Ann Wagner titled “Vocabulary Lesson” including wartime vocabulary.

Spotlight Poem

Graveyard

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

It is settled then.

This is where

you will sleep.

This is where

while I grow old,

you will not.   

This is where

I will tell you secrets.

where I will never

hear yours.

This is where

we’ve ended:

You, my soldier.

I, your sister.

You will never

fall in love.

You will never

dance at my wedding.     

I chose this poem for my spotlight poem as I believe it will resonate the loudest with the middle school students on my campus who do not think so much of death being a permanent state. I believe they can relate to the lines in this contemporary poem.

Activity: This book would be a great work to share in American History classes and perhaps use in conjunction with their research projects. The eighth graders on my campus are usually required to do extensive research on the Civil War and I believe that section of poetry in this anthology would greatly enhance their projects and make the experience much more meaningful.