Post #10: Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans (2000 Edition: Volume LIX)

I was at the S&A Boutique in Dunkirk and saw this little book on the shelf, the spine reading as above.  I thought, "Poetry, Ok, sounds good.  Young Americans, ok... I like Bowie (Of course, this has nothing to do with Bowie, but it crossed my mind). Only a buck... this is looking good."  Long story short, I read a few poems and decided to buy it, knowing that for this class I was assigned to read a poetry anthology.  So I bought it, and I read it, and I was blown away by it... for two reasons:

First, this anthology, as the title implies, contains poems written by young Americans.  The content of the poems spans a wide range, from family issues to holidays to problems with friends, to growing up in general.  The anthology offers insight into the lives of adolescents and pre-adolescents through art created by those of the age group.  After reading it I was really taken aback... I was amazed by what these kids had created.  All of the poems were great, but I figured I'd share my favorite on the blog:

STREET

You start out at a crawl,
slowly, slowly going down the street.
While others are rushing crushing and running
around you.
Eventually the current picks you up --
faster and faster
until you are rushing crushing pushing
along the busy crazy streets.
all of a sudden the crowd slows
down,
slowly, slowly, crawling, walking, slowly, until --
you are stopped, at a dead stop.
The rushing crushing pushing life
is over.
All over.

-Evelyn Ann Greene
Age: 13

To think that a 13 year old could capture so beautifully the cycle of life is astounding.  I really like her repetition of 'slowly.'  I think that it highlights how slow life seems to flow by, despite the suddenness with which certain things, such as aging, seem  to come.  This young woman possessed an insight that most young people, myself included, didn't have at 13.

Second, I thought that it would be an interesting assignment to use when I teach.  It's no secret that students perform better when they are writing with a purpose.  What better purpose for writing poetry that trying to get it published in an anthology.  Granted, the purpose should be personal to them as well (not simply to publish), but they might put in more effort if publishing a poem is something that they're interested in.  I did a little research and found that this company is still in business, and they're still publishing this anthology on a yearly basis.  I think that when I teach I will have my students write poems and try to get them published in this anthology.  It only costs the price of a postage stamp, and I think covering the 44 cents per student is something I could handle.  Overall, reading this anthology was a great experience, both in terms of reading, and in terms of providing me with an exciting assignment for my future students.