This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness

*Image by readerkidz.com

A. Bibliographic Data: Sidman, Joyce. This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. ISBN 9780618616800

B. Critical Analysis: Plot Summary: Though saying sorry isn’t always easy, the fictional students of Mrs. Mertz’s sixth grade class do so beautifully through their collection of poems presented in this book. When asked to create their own poems of apology, the students enjoyed them so much they decided to put them together in the form of a book complete with responses from those they were apologizing to. The quirky yet serious messages of these poems capture the beauty of forgiveness, the complexity of relationships and the freedom “I’m sorry” can bring. This is a must read for readers of all ages!

Appeal: “I’m sorry” are universal words that know no boundary of race, gender or age. That alone makes this book highly appealing to all students, at all ages. Furthermore, students will be able to relate to the specific topics of the apology poems. Having a crush on someone that doesn’t quite feel the same, losing a pet, troubled father-daughter relationships, high expectations, and how to forgive are all covered by this talented author. The language and ideas presented can be clearly understood but do have the ability to provide insight by bringing to life hard to explain emotions and exploring uncomfortable situations.   

Meaning: These poems are concrete in meaning though their universal themes can be applied, to a bigger more abstract picture. Because the authors of these poems could have experienced these feelings and emotions, the poems are built upon concrete ideas. The theme of "seeing the beauty in apologizing and forgiving" can be applied to any situation in life. The messages in these poems are truly touching and will remain with readers long after the book has finished…in which case, I would think the author’s purpose is accomplished with flying colors.  

Rhythm and Sound: Because this is a collection of various poems, each one has a different meter and pattern. This is a great way to expose readers to a variety of ways to create poetry! With this book, I was even introduced to a pantoum poem in which the second and fourth line of every stanza is repeated as the first and third lines in the next stanza (see example poems below). This was a brand new poetry to me! The poems are fluent and though they may differ, share the same beautiful ability to reach readers and create a distinct sound.   

Language: Most often, similes and metaphors are used to show variations of language. A few examples of these would be: “all those red rubber balls thumping like heartbeats against the walls and ceiling, blinking back and forth like stoplights…” (10), “The silence seemed like a hundred crushing elephants…” (12), and “a wafting wave of chocolate-ness…” (14). Overall the language is easy to understand and readers will be left with a clear idea of the poems' message and theme. The language of these poems also does a great job of portraying the juvenile feel of a sixth grade classroom.

Imagery: There’s a nice and even distribution of support given to the five senses throughout this book. Sidman really brings seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling to life in new and innovative ways. Readers will definitely be able to see the same things the author sees, hear the same sounds, feel the same surfaces, taste the same tastes and smell the same smells. To me, this is one of the most fun aspects of reading poetry; seeing just what images an author can produce!

Emotional Impact: To be completely honest, I was brought to tears while reading a few of these poems. Though I am an emotional person and tend to cry even when reading greeting cards, this is still saying something. The raw emotions evoked by these poems are unique to the other poetry books I’ve read thus far. It was both refreshing and highly meaningful, which are two descriptors that are highly important when selecting literature to share with students. I strongly believe that all readers will make an emotional connection with this book and will be able to recognize the healing effect poetry can have.

Layout and Organization: The book begins with a table of contents followed by an introduction in which “Anthony K.” describes how this book came to be. Part 1 is a collection of eighteen apology poems. Part 2 consists of the responding poems. The poems are acceptable in length and are given their own page complete with complementing illustrations. Zagarenski does a beautiful job of providing believable illustrations based on the introduction’s idea that they were created by a student as well. One complaint I have is that it isn’t clear whether or not Mrs. Mertz is real or if Joyce Sidman really wrote every poem in the book. Because she is listed as the author and not the editor, I am confident she is truly behind the poems. I do think though there should be a clear explanation somewhere.    

C. Example: Because one apology poem just isn’t complete without its response poem, I’m including both. Poems:

Spelling Bomb

By: Anthony to his Mother

I can’t believe I lost.

I know I disappointed you.

Do you really think I don’t care?

I know how important it is to win.

I know I disappointed you;

I saw it in your face when I misspelled.

I know how important it is to win;

I studied hours and hours.

I saw it in your face when I misspelled.

I saw you turn away from me.

Even though I study hours and hours,

I never seem to be your champion.

I saw you turn away from me

and in that moment would have given anything

to be your champion.

To see your bright, triumphant pride.

In this moment, I would give anything-

do you really think I don’t care?-

for your bright, triumphant pride,

which I can’t believe I lost.

Some Reasons Why

By: Tenzin (writing for Anthony’s mother, who said he was being ridiculous) to Anthony

Why must we work so hard,

and always be the best?

Parents say:

     hard work builds character.

I say:

     too much hard work means no laughter.

Parents say:

     only the best get ahead.

I say:

     everyone’s good at something.

Parents say:

     daydreaming is just an excuse for laziness.

I say:

     they just never learned how to write a poem.

Introduction: I think a great way to introduce these poems would be by sparking class discussion about apologies and what makes them so hard to say? Was there ever a time when you should have said sorry but didn’t? Why? What would make apologizing easier? Writing them down? In asking these questions I will spark prior knowledge and provide outlets for students to make connections to. I would then introduce the book and author, read the introduction and share a few of the poems and their responses. Further class discussion would ensue.

Ideas for Sharing: Anthony’s poem has such a unique repetition to it, that I envision this poem being read aloud by a group of students in which each member says a line (and repeats their line) as it comes up in the poem. I think this would be awesome to hear (especially with a little practice) and would give students a clear idea of the author’s intentional repetition and line placement. For Tenzin’s poem, I would suggest the call and recall method in which two students will read the poem alternating at the “parents say…” and “I say…” lines. This too would enhance meaning and allow students to clearly see the author’s intention and poem meaning.