BIOGRAPHICAL POETRY
BIOGRAPHICAL POETRY
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Lives: Poems About Famous Americans. Illustrated by Leslie Staub. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.Lives: Poems About Famous Americans includes fourteen poems about famous Americans. With poems about Americans from various times in history, readers are introduced to people from Paul Revere in the mid-1700s all the way to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. Some of these American icons may require some discussion. “This Bell Rings for Liberty” by Lawrence Schimel, for example, never mentions once who the poem is actually about. In this case, the picture is critical in identifying the famous American unless the reader are familiar with the Revolutionary War and Paul Revere’s role in at that time. In most of the poems, the famous person is only mentioned once. Because of this and the often-vague hints about the accomplishments, younger children, or those without prior knowledge, may require some explanation or discussion.
Each poem tells just a snippet about the famous American,
leaving the readers to look further to quench their desire to know more. Most of the poems are rhythmic in style, but
several have a narrative or free-verse quality.
Some figurative language is found in “First Men on the Moon” by J.
Patrick Lewis; the personification of “One small blue planet watched in awe”
and the simile “hopped like kangaroos” help the readers get a sense of the
magnitude of this historical event.
The sensory images and emotional impact of some of the lines
in Nikki Grimes “JFK: Perseverence Furthers” give readers and appreciation for
the selflessness of John F. Kennedy. “Pearly whites,” “his life-vest strap
clamped ‘tween your teeth,” and “old injuries inflamed your spine” all depict
JFK as a man not willing to give up.
Many notable poets wrote these poems specifically for this
book. All fourteen poems are written in
different styles, but each poem brings up memories of stories heard through the
years. With only one poem on each page,
the readers are able to stay focused.
The notes at the back of the book provide background on each famous
American
“American Wizard”
by Lawrence Schimel
A shout
rang out
in Menlo Park
one New Year’s Eve
as people
stepped down
from the train
into dark
and he pulled
the switch –
a flood of light
lit up the night!
What marvelous lamps
without gas
or flame!
The people cheered
Thomas Edison’s name
And his marvel
That turned dusk
Into
Day.
Before reading this poem:
Ask:
Have
you ever heard of Thomas Edison?
What
do you know about him?
Follow-up:
Read: A Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison by
David A. Adler
Look at information at:
This site has a brief biography
and a list of Edison’s more well-known inventions. Ask students to choose an invention and write
their own poem. This can be more open
ended; the poem can be about the invention itself, how Edison invented it, how
it works, etc…
This poem could also be a great lead-in to a study of
inventions or inventors.
CITATIONS
Adler, David A. A
Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison. Translated by John Wallner and
Alexandra Wallner. New York: Holiday House, 1996.
Florida Power & Light
Company. "Kids Korner - Thomas Edison." Kids Korner - What's It All
About?. Last modified 2009.
http://www.fplsafetyworld.com/?ver=kkblue&utilid=fplforkids&id=16193.
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