Stitchin' and Pullin' A Gee's Bend Quilt

*Image from personal.psu.edu

A. Bibliographic Data: McKissack, Patricia C. Stitchin’ and Pullin’ A Gee’s Bend Quilt. Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. New York: Random House,2008. ISBN 9780375831638

B. Critical Analysis: Plot Summary: This collection of poems illustrates the evolution of an African American community. Strong in their traditions and beliefs, the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama turn to quilt-making to provide a consistent foundation for passing on histories, sharing stories, and expressing themselves. These poems explore the complex range of emotions that were felt during the time of Martin Luther King, segregation and the fight for justice familiar to so many. With beautiful pictures to complement the creativity of McKissack’s words- this book would be an asset to any poetry collection.  

Appeal: This poetry book has endless ways in which it would appeal to any given audience. For example, the interesting and engaging topic provides readers with insight and an opportunity to gain more knowledge. The language of the poem is readable while modeling different ways in which language can be used to further express a certain point or idea. And readers will be taken back in time with the help of their imaginations, creativity and emotions. Lastly, the topic is interesting and will automatically appeal to young readers learning about the civil rights movement.  

Meaning: I would describe the meaning of these poems to be far more concrete than abstract. As mentioned before, the poems are based on an actual community that can be easily located and visited. Gee’s Bend, Alabama has received publicity for their quilts and remains a popular place to visit when wishing to capture the importance of quilt-making and oral history. Though the poems tell a story, they’re deep roots in non-fiction provide a much more concrete meaning to readers.

Rhythm and Sound: The poems in this book do not rhyme but have a certain rhythm about them nonetheless. The poems are easy to read and flow nicely. Though each poem is titled and starts on their own page, there is a consistency throughout the book that makes reading these poems enjoyable and easy. The patterns of the poems change with each poem, as well as the meter. McKissack uses certain sound devices such as: repetition, onomatopoeias, and dialogue.  

Language: Similes, metaphors and personification fill the pages of this book. McKissack does a wonderful job of blending and comparing objects seamlessly, giving readers the perfect recipe for making connections to the text. An example of this moving language can be found in the poem titled Colors. “Red is loud and hard to control, like fire and a gossiping tongue” and “Lavender is sweet-smelling like a newborn baby”. The use of such strong language makes the poems fun to read while supporting the author’s clear message and purpose.

Imagery: McKissack depends mostly on her ability to create mental pictures in the minds of her readers. She pays close attention to detail and continuously describes people, places and actions with her diction and language. There is also emphasis placed on touch and smell, with little dependence on tasting and hearing.  

Emotional Impact: The overall tone and mood of this book is fitting to the subject matter. Though the civil rights movement and all that African Americans were forced to endure was a time of sadness and hurt, it can also be viewed as a survival story- one of hope and faith. McKissack manages to capture all of those emotions in her poems with her ability to switch from more light-hearted subjects to more serious ones effortlessly. By the end of the book readers are left with a sense of that hope and happiness for the people of Gee’s Bend. I strongly believe any reader at any age will have an emotional response to this piece!

Layout and Organization: I was unfamiliar with Patricia C. McKissack when I chose this book, as well as Cozbi A. Cabrera. Though both are very talented, I would venture to say they would be unfamiliar to most young readers. The poem selections are fairly recent, having been out for a little over three years. The length of the poems is not overwhelming at all and they are organized in a way that encourages consistency and fluency. Each poem has its own title and is mostly confined to less than one page in length. The entire book is also at a reasonable length. Background information is given at both the beginning and end of the book. The beginning introduction explains the people of Gee’s Bend while the ending author’s note provides readers with the author’s perspective and reasoning behind creating this work. Both are great additional reading possibilities.

C. Example: Poem:                               “Colors”

Grandma says,

Blue cools.

Red is loud and hard to control,

Like fire and a gossiping tongue.

Green oozes.

Orange laughs.

Pink smiles.

Yellow warms.

Black Protects.

White shifts its shades from soft and bright to dingy.

Purple is quiet.

Lavender is sweet-smelling like a newborn baby.

Brown is hardworking.

Grandma says,

“Colors show how you

Feel deep down inside.”

I feel yellow right now with a hint of orange.

Introduction: To introduce this poem I would have a warm up activity in which each student would have a crayon on their desk. The students would be asked to look carefully at their color, think about it, think about the different objects, people and places that are this color, what the color makes them think about etc. After 5 minutes of silent reflection I would then allow the students to jot down ideas about their colors in their journals. Finally I would ask students to describe how the color makes him/her feel. After students have finished writing they will be given the opportunity to share their work in small groups and eventually to the class (on a volunteer basis). I will then share this poem with the class and see if there were similarities or differences between McKissack’s revelations and the students’.

Ideas for Sharing: Initially I would share this poem to students aloud; afterwards I think this poem would be perfect for students to read aloud in small groups or as a whole group. With seventeen lines, it’s possible for each student to read one line. I envision students acting out the emotions the different colors portray as well as dressing in their colors to complement reading (if this poem is shared with parents or other faculty). I also think it would be meaningful for students to have a chance to share the way they feel based on the different colors discussed in this poem. From then on, class discussions could begin by asking, what color describes how you feel today?