Mora, Pat. 2010. DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE. New York: Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-375-84375-4.
Plot Summary:
Dizzy In Your Eyes is a collection of poems that are written from a teenagers perspective. There are poems that speak of flirting, the latest crush, being confronted with having sex for the first time and a wide array of other topics a typical teenager has to encounter. The feelings these poems depict are incredibly real and accurate, it's incredible they were written by an adult and not a teenager.
Dizzy In Your Eyes is a collection of poems that are written from a teenagers perspective. There are poems that speak of flirting, the latest crush, being confronted with having sex for the first time and a wide array of other topics a typical teenager has to encounter. The feelings these poems depict are incredibly real and accurate, it's incredible they were written by an adult and not a teenager.
Critical Analysis:
The majority of the poems in Dizzy In Your Eyes are written in English but there are a sprinkling of poems written in Spanish or that have Spanish words within the predominantly English poem. Unfortunately these Spanish poems do not have a direct translation so for those who do not know Spanish we are not going to know what these poems are about or we will have a difficult time understanding them.
The majority of the poems in Dizzy In Your Eyes are written in English but there are a sprinkling of poems written in Spanish or that have Spanish words within the predominantly English poem. Unfortunately these Spanish poems do not have a direct translation so for those who do not know Spanish we are not going to know what these poems are about or we will have a difficult time understanding them.
There was one poem in particular that I identified with and that was the poem Hands. It spoke of a young girl who has a crush on her older brothers friend. She loves watching his hands as he plays basketball but of course her brothers friend doesn't pay any attention to her. I love the last line, "No one has ever felt this. Ever." That is such a typical teenager, the feeling that everything they are experiencing no one has ever experienced before, very dramatic. For anyone, like myself, who has an older brother can identify with this poem. I immediately thought of my brothers best friend Matt and how I just adored him but of course he had no idea I even existed.
I love the incorporation of Spanish poems within this book but because I do not speak Spanish I can't read them and therefore I can't appreciate what the author is saying. I did not find any poems that spoke specifically of culture markers. The poems were directed at discussing teenage feelings so there were not any descriptive words about skin tone, hair styles, or anything specifically related to culture. There could be something represented within the Spanish poems but I do not know. I would have like to be able to understand what the Spanish poems were about so I would have appreciated a translation of some sort even if the poem was not able to stick to the style of poetry due to the translation. Overall I loved the book, it was like venturing down memory late back to my teenage years and remembering what it was like.
I love the incorporation of Spanish poems within this book but because I do not speak Spanish I can't read them and therefore I can't appreciate what the author is saying. I did not find any poems that spoke specifically of culture markers. The poems were directed at discussing teenage feelings so there were not any descriptive words about skin tone, hair styles, or anything specifically related to culture. There could be something represented within the Spanish poems but I do not know. I would have like to be able to understand what the Spanish poems were about so I would have appreciated a translation of some sort even if the poem was not able to stick to the style of poetry due to the translation. Overall I loved the book, it was like venturing down memory late back to my teenage years and remembering what it was like.
Review Awards and Excerpts:
"Mora writes in free verse, as well as a wide variety of classic poetic forms--including haiku, clerihew, sonnet, cinquain, and blank verse--and...the tight structures intensify the strong feelings in the poems." - Booklist
"The poet's voice is multifaceted: tender, humorous and joyful but also profound ... The author employs an extraordinary diversity of poetic forms." - Kirkus Reviews
"Peppered with Spanish, the selections define the emotion in countless
ways...Teachers in need of a fresh new avenue for teaching poetic form...and
teens in search of a broader definition of love will find it here." - School
Library Journal"Mora writes in free verse, as well as a wide variety of classic poetic forms--including haiku, clerihew, sonnet, cinquain, and blank verse--and...the tight structures intensify the strong feelings in the poems." - Booklist
"The poet's voice is multifaceted: tender, humorous and joyful but also profound ... The author employs an extraordinary diversity of poetic forms." - Kirkus Reviews
Connections:
- I think it would be great for parents with teenagers to read books such as this one to reacquaint themselves with what it feels like to be a teenager. I think we get so far removed from it as we age that we forget what it's like. This would be a great book to suggest to parents with teenagers who are trying to understand what they are going through. It might be a bit unconventional to suggest but worthwhile.
- As for working with children, writing poetry is therapeutic and a great way to express yourself. I'd read some of the poetry and have a poetry reading or a Slam! if it's in a library setting.
No comments:
Post a Comment