Thursday, May 16, 2019

Poetry Friday: A Song For Gwendolyn Brooks



Welcome, once again, to Poetry Friday! This week's round up host is Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche blog. Be sure to click over to read all of this week's poetry goodness.

Michelle at 
Today's Little Ditty blog spent National Poetry Month interviewing a plethora of talented poets. At the end of the month, Michelle randomly chose winners to receive copies of books written by her featured guests. One of those featured was Alice Faye Duncan. Because I'm an Illinois native and grew up enjoying Gwendolyn Brook's poetry at school, I was especially excited to learn that I had won a digital copy of Faye Duncan's A Song For Gwendolyn Brooks.



Although I had read plenty of Brook's work, I really didn't know too much about her early life. A Song For Gwendolyn Brooks takes readers back to her early days growing up on Chicago's south side, a beloved daughter to parents who nurtured and encouraged her love for writing poetry. Brooks was often allowed to skip chores to work on her craft, and when one of her teachers doubted that she had written something sumitted for an assignment, Brook's mother marched to the school and proclaimed her daughter's innocence and talent. The poem I'm sharing this week is one that Gwendolyn wrote in response to this experience:

FORGIVE AND FORGET
If others neglect you,
Forget; do not sigh,
For, after all, they'll select you
In times by and by.
If their taunts cut and hurt you,
They are sure to regret.
And if in time, they desert you,
Forgive and forget.

As the book moves forward chronologically, we see Gwendolyn grow in confidence. We see her study and learn from other great poets of the time. We see her talent explode and flourish and watch her collect the first ever Pulitzer Prize given to a black American.


This lyrical biography is a lovely mix of Faye Duncan's bluesy rhythm with Brook's own poetic voice dotted throughout. This book is an insightful introduction to one of the world's greatest poets, and it should be on the shelf in every elementary school library.

19 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more! I love this book and am going to get it for my middle school library.

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  2. Me, too. It is wonderful! I didn't know very much about her until the book & then Michelle's post. How lovely that you won the book, Kimberly.

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    1. Thanks, Linda! I enjoyed all that you shared, as well. She was so gifted at writing about her experiences and doing it in such beautiful way.

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  3. I will look for this book. It looks like a winner. Thank you for sharing.

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  4. You and Linda have me convinced I must read this book ASAP. Thanks for featuring it today!

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    1. You're welcome, jama! This book is a treat I know you'll love.

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  5. Sounds like her mother was a fierce woman, too. Thanks for sharing this book. I loved the series that Michelle had at her blog. I won Helen Frost's book Sweep up the Sun.

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    1. Yes, Margaret. I admire her parents as much as I admire Gwendolyn herself. Congrats on your win! I haven't read Sweep up the Sun yet, but it's on my ever-growing list :)

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  6. I agree, Kimberly! It's a beautiful tribute to a strong, capable woman and a supremely talented poet. Thank you for helping this book to get the exposure it deserves.

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! And thanks for featuring Alice and her book and for offering the giveaway. This book was such a treat!

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  7. I just read Mary Lee's poem on resilience and this one by Brooks makes a great text set. I would think this is the poem that children could emulate since mentor texts are co-teachers. Thank you, Kimberly.

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    1. I just read Mary Lee's poem, too, Carol, and you're right they make a great set.

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  8. I've just started The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks and am savouring each poem. I'm very excited that my library has this book on order.

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    1. I'm so glad to hear your library has it on order, Cheriee! The more children who get the opportunity to get introduced to Gwendolyn Brooks, the better.

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  9. This sounds like a wonderful book--congrats on winning it! I want to read it, too. I love her poetry, but don't know a lot about her life. This sounds like a great way to learn.

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    1. Susan, this is a great introduction to her early life. I hope you love it as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  10. I love picture book biographies. This looks like a wonderful book. Thanks for sharing some of Gwendolyn Brooks' backstory from childhood.

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