This
week I’ve been enthralled with Nikki Grime’s One Last Word.
The book reintroduces poems from the Harlem Renaissance. Nikki, in
turn creates new ‘golden shovel’ poems developed from one line in
each of the poems featured.
Here
is one example from the book:
Calling
All Dreams
by
Georgia Douglas Johnson
The
right to make my dreams come true
I
ask, nay, I demand of life,
Nor
shall fate’s deadly contraband
Impede
my steps, nor countermand.
Too
long my heart against the ground
Has
beat the dusty years around,
And
now, at length, I rise, I wake!
And
stride into the morning-brake!
Nikki
Grimes took the first line from this poem, The right to make my
dreams come true, and created a new golden shovel poem from it.
The
Sculptor
by
Nikki Grimes
No
accident of birth or race or place determines the
scope
of hope or dreams I have a right
to.
I inventory my head and heart to
weigh
and measure what talents I might use to make
my
own tomorrow. It all depends on the grit at my
disposal.
My father says hard work is the clay dreams
are
molded from. Yes. Molded. Dreams do not come.
They
are carved, muscled into something solid, something true.
This
is a new poetry form for me, and I find it very challenging, but when
it’s done so well, as in One Last Word, it can be beautiful.
If you would like to attempt your own, you
can read more about golden shovel poetry here.
Happy Poem-Making!
Hi Kimberly, thank you for sharing from ONE LAST WORD! The poems truly are masterful... quite a few in our community have tried writing them, but I haven't yet. I think choosing the strike line is really important! Happy almost National Poetry Month!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Nikki Grimes' book "One Last Word–" Golden Shovel poems fascinate me in the new depth that they create out of such richly rooted beginnings.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Kimberly. I adore this book. As soon as I read it, I just knew it was going to be an award winner....and it continues to pick up awards. I really love playing with this form. I kind of have to lose focus to write in this form....just play until I get a draft and then craft from there. It's too hard for me to sit down and just write one. But, a golden shovel is a great warm up activity for more poems. You give me good ideas!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful poem. So many lovely lines - but I think my fave would have to be 'hard work is the clay dreams are molded from'. So good!
ReplyDeleteI have written a number of golden shovels - some of them in my current WIP, an historical verse novel - and I find it pulls out words in an unexpected sequence. Like it's not my voice at all. I like that!
Nice to meet you, Kimberly! I also love the way the Golden Shovel allows us to interpret and reinterpret the lines of poems and poets we admire. Nikki's book is genius.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, Kimberly! Golden shovels have been difficult for me to write. Maybe if I read One Last Word, it'll give me a much-needed kick in the butt.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I think my comment may have gone missing in cyberspace. (I was hoping it was just waiting moderation. :) ) This is such a crafted poem. Beautiful! I think my favourite 'line' would be; 'hard work is the clay dreams / are molded from' - but there's just so much to love about the word choice and placement - the voice and flow - of this whole poem.
ReplyDeleteONE LAST WORD is a triumph. It takes a hard form and makes it look easy. I tried a short one for Michelle's ditty challenge and had fun with it.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit worried when Nikki chose the golden shovel as our DMC challenge this month since I find them to be so difficult. Luckily I had ONE LAST WORD to study! It's an beautiful and inspiring book.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading this book for myself! But until then, I enjoy each glimpse I get of it. I missed out on the ditty challenge this month, but I did try a golden shovel poem once last year. It's hard! (but oh-so-rewarding, too)
ReplyDelete