Module 1: Poetry Book Review: Hopkins Anthology

America At War

Poems Selected by:
Lee Bennett Hopkins

Introduction:
America At War is filled with selections by Lee Bennet Hopkins and is illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. This book is described as "Poetry of War". It is divided into eight sections that cover raw emotions from the American Revolution to the Iraq War. This book is a collection of 54 poems by more than forty poets, such as Stephen Crane, Carl Sandburg, e. e. cummings, and Walt Whitman. Stephen Alcorn uses watercolor illustrations in a variety of styles. His images capture the meaning of the ideas contained in each poem. The book is divided into sections by eight significant wars in America's history. Each introductory page contains the name of the war, the dates it was fought, a quote about the war, and a short summary of the conflict. I found it interesting that the number of recorded deaths and wounded were listed on the introduction of each war.

An example of how each section is organized:

PERSIAN GULF WAR

(1991)

"We make war that we may live in peace."

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

Greek philosopher

* * *

This anthology of poems leaves the reader thoughtful, silent, and mournful of how war ravages the soul. There are numerous examples of sensory imagery and emotional impact throughout this collection. Many of the poems I found hard to read but knew that they deserve to be absorbed. These are true depictions of the harshness of war!

My Brother's Shirt

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

It is mine now,
one stiff army shirt,
THOMPSON printed
on the pocket.
United States Army
sends something home;
gives part of you back.
The part that cannot
breathe, or speak
or tease me
anymore.

This free verse poem is but one example of the poignant submissions one would find in America at War. Dotlich evokes several sensory images through her carefully written words. As with nearly all of the poems in America at War, My Brother's Shirt stimulates a variety of emotions from the reader.

This anthology of war poems is a must have for any teacher conducting lessons on the various wars that America participated in. The poems allow the reader to grasp the magnitude of emotions associated with warfare. America at War exposes effects of war and pays tribute to those who have served, those now serving and those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett Hopkins. 2008. America At War. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
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