Web Site Reviews: April, 2005
-- School Library Journal, 4/1/2005
History In Verse
Carol Marshall, Bridgeport (CT) Public Library
The Charge of the Light Brigade. www.victorianweb.org/history/crimea/chargelb.html Christopher Hibbert. (Accessed 2/18/05).
Poetry Out Loud. www.bbc.co.uk/arts/poetry/outloud/tennyson.shtml BBC. (Accessed 2/18/05).
Gr 9 Up-"The Charge of the Light Brigade" was written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1854 to commemorate the unnecessary slaughter of more than half of a small brigade of British troops during the Crimean War. The first site contains the historical background of the battle, including maps and links to explanations of the size of each force and the geographical layout of the site that caused confusion and possible misdirection among the British officers. The second Web address links to a remarkable, rare recording of Lord Tennyson reciting his poem. Thomas Edison had the audio production made on one of his wax recording machines in 1890. The quality of the sound is understandably poor compared to today's standards, but to hear the author's voice reciting his own famous work, with all the scratchiness and background noise, is a thrilling privilege. RealPlayer required.
The Midnight Rider Virtual Museum. www.cvesd.k12.ca.us/finney/paulvm/foyer.html Kimberly Hamilton. (Accessed 2/28/05).
Gr 3-6-This middle-school-teacher-created site is loaded with not only the poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," but is a good tool for supplying historical context, maps of Boston and Revere's route, graphics, sound recordings of music of the era, and activities for students to place themselves virtually within the event. The poem itself is presented in segments; each page is on a blue background with a small, colorful picture representing that part of the tale. Hyperlinked brief explanations help clarify and explain unfamiliar phrases, coloquial wording, and historical events. The site is ideally suited for younger students and is beautifully constructed.
Poems of Grief and Consolation. www.poets.org/sept11.cfm Academy of American Poets. (Accessed 2/18/05).
Gr 7 Up-Contemporary poetry dealing with the September 11th tragedy is included in this site, and a short list of links to some of these poems displays the love of life that poetry draws us toward. The link to "Poetry and Tragedy" offers a short essay by the 2001-2002 Poet Laureate Billy Collins that explains the role of poetry during times of tragedy, particularly in reference to the World Trade Center attack. Historical verses written after a battle or the death of a leader can be given the same attributes, the need to console and explore.
Poetry and Music of the War Between the States. www.civilwarpoetry.org/ Kathie Watson. (Accessed 2/18/05).
Gr 4 Up-This site has an amazing amount of poetry from the Civil War era that poignantly describes the experiences of battle, patriotism, and emotions of both sides. Three photographs on the home page link to either Confederate or Union poetry or music of the time. Each section has poetry categorized into themes: "The Break," "Battles," "Officers," "Soldier Life," "The Home Front," and "Postwar Remembrances." An additional category for each reflects poems dedicated to a dominant figure of the time: General Robert E. Lee for the Confederates and President Abraham Lincoln for the Unionists. Within these categories are poems by some well-known poets, including Walt Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" and Stephen Vincent Benét's "Robert E. Lee". The authors and titles of most poems are hyperlinked to additional information with either brief biographical sketches or historical references that put the poems into proper perspective.
The Star-Spangled Banner. americanhistory.si.edu/ssb/2_home/fs2.html Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (Accessed 2/18/05). Gr 7 Up
Fort McHenry. www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anthem.html. L. Eugene Towner. (Accessed 2/18/05). Gr 4 Up-Inspired in 1814 by the sight of the American flag still flying over the fort after a British attack, Francis Scott Key penned "The Star-Spangled Banner" to match the meter of a popular British drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven." Key's poem became the U.S.'s national anthem in 1931. The "Fort McHenry" Web site is a simple display of the poem, with annotations written by members of the National Park Service and the Fort McHenry historian. The "Star-Spangled Banner" site is much more elaborate and is better suited for older students who want to see photocopies of the original manuscript, research the evolution of the poem into its current version, and learn more about the flag that inspired the work.
Poetry In Motion
Bina Williams, Bridgeport (CT) Public Library
Favorite Poem Project. www.favoritepoem.org/ Boston University, the Poetry Society of America, and the Library of Congress. (Accessed 2/21/05).
Gr 7 Up-Using video clips, this site spotlights favorite poetry selections by "regular folks," who read and talk about themselves and why they particularly like their choices. Participants include a 20-year-old student from South Boston, a bookseller from L.A., an accountant from upstate New York, and a few celebrities (including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton). Poets from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Stevie Smith and Burmese poet Zawgee are celebrated in this brainchild of former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. Communities (including libraries) wanting to host a "Favorite Poems Community Reading" will find great tips including how to choose poems, find readers, and plan the event. The teachers' section has an array of helpful classroom ideas and lesson plans, including a wonderful idea for "Seeking People's Stories" about their favorite poems. Browsers are also invited to submit their own choices to the project. (Note: Some computers may have trouble loading the videos, but the site is still worth visiting. Requires RealPlayer and Adobe Acrobat.)
Fooling with Words with Bill Moyers. www.wnet.org/foolingwithwords/ PBS. (Accessed 2/20/05).
Gr 9 Up-Since 1986, the Dodge Foundation has been hosting a poetry festival every other year in New Jersey that is well attended by poetry lovers and students alike. Moyers and his PBS crew recorded the 1998 event in a program called Fooling with Words. The companion Web site is a worthy place for students to browse for video clips (RealPlayer and QuickTime enabled) of live readings and interviews; poetry texts; and biographical information about 21 poets, including Robert Pinsky, Marge Piercy, and Galway Kinnell. Some readings include musical accompaniment such as Amiri Baraka drumming along with "Wise, Whys Y's" or cello music to go along with Coleman Barks's "New Year's Day Nap." While some individuals are well known, newer talents are included such as Denise Duhamel and Deborah Garrison. "Lesson Plans" includes three lessons, a marvelous guide for young poets ("Murphy's Style Sheet for Revising Poetry"), and a few "testimonials" from people who teach poetry. A teacher's guide (available both as a downloadable PDF file and on the site) includes reading lists, a recommended core collection for high schools, and a page or two for each poet with their works and related questions. Teachers also may want to purchase the video version of this two-hour program.
Fern's Poetry Club. pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/ Public Broadcasting Corporation. (Accessed 2/25/05).
Gr 2-5-Fans of Arthur the aardvark will enjoy his friend Fern's Poetry Club. Browsers are encouraged to write and submit their own poems, one of which becomes "Today's Poem" and is posted on the site. There is a useful section explaining different forms, including the haiku and the lesser-known cinquain. For each, an explanation of the rhyme and syllable schemes is followed by a few examples. "Read More Poetry" offers lots of selections written by children and can be searched by their names. While this is not a comprehensive site on poetry, it is great for younger students new to the genre.
Listen and Write. www.bbc.co.uk/education/listenandwrite/home.htm British Broadcasting Corporation. (Accessed 2/25/05).
Gr 4-8-This BBC-produced site offers a unique and fun experience for young writers of poetry and raps. In "Rap Realm," rapper wanna-bes can, with prompts, pen their own lines about haunted houses or hippos. A library of text and audio clips features Tony J. singing about disco sheep or funky dinos with an amusing British accent. In the "World of Wonderwords," students can help space alien The Saurus improve his verses with snappier language or write their own lines. The "Simile Satellite" asks students "What does it remind you of?" and again encourages them to write poems. "Free Style" (which is not interactive) is "hosted" by Wordz R. Wilde as he encourages the use of free verse, haiku, rhyming couplets, or limericks. Submissions by other poets can be read in the "Showcase." For teachers and parents, there are resources and lesson plans to accompany the site. RealPlayer is required to hear the raps.
Poetry 180. www.loc.gov/poetry/180 Poetry and Literature Center, Library of Congress. (Accessed 2/14/05).
Gr 9 Up-Created by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins, this Web site offers "a poem a day for American high schools." The idea behind this project is for schools to set aside a few minutes each day for students to read or hear a poem. The diverse selection includes a marvelous cross-section of poets, themes, cultures, and forms of poetry. These mostly contemporary selections range from profound to funny. Poem 176, "How to Change a Frog Into a Prince" by Anna Denise, pokes fun at fairy tales and romance with great wit. "Passer-by, these are words..." by Yves Bonnefoy offers thought-provoking words that might be found on a tombstone. "Radio" by Laurel Blossom perfectly captures the frustrations of car ownership in a city through a string of notes that one might put in the car window. "More about this Program" explains Collins's intent for this project, while "How to Read A Poem Out Loud" offers great tips for the many students who may not be natural public speakers and includes an audio clip of Collins reading a poem. "Read Our Legal Notices" provides links and guidelines for using these works outside the classroom, including publication and copyright information and how to get permission to reprinteach poem.
poets.org. www.Poets.org Academy of American Poets. (Accessed 2/20/05).
Gr 8 Up-This site invites browsers into the world of poetry through news items about poets, a National Poetry Calendar, and much more. It includes "Find a Poet," which offers short bios of various bards along with links to their poems, audio clips of them, pictures, and Web articles. Students search by title or first line to "Find A Poem" by individuals as diverse as D. H. Lawrence and Naomi Shihab Nye. There is nothing quite like hearing a poem read aloud and in the "Listening Booth," poets such as Marilyn Nelson and Langston Hughes read their own work. Free registration (which requires an e-mail address) allows students to easily save poems, poet bios, or audio clips into "My Notebooks." Saved items are separated by type and students can set up more than one notebook. The "Literary Links" are well organized and "Map and Events" and the "Poetry Almanac" allow students to locate poetry events. Poetry Month has its own page of links for ideas, activities, and resources. (Note: The Web site links to an online bookstore as well as the Academy's own gift shop and visitors are encouraged to support the organization through its "Adopt a Poet" program.)
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