Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers

*Image from barnesandnoble.com

A. Bibliographic Data: Franco, Betsy ed. Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2008. ISBN 9780763634377

B. Critical Analysis: Plot Summary: Who doesn’t remember falling in love for the first time? All of the new emotions, rollercoaster feelings and mixture of smiles and tears make a lasting impression sure to bring back memories for many years to come. In this collection of love poems, teenagers from all over the world come together to share, explore and relive the single most powerful emotion of all…love. These raw and inspiring poems are sure to impact readers and provide insight into the many faucets of love and the complex world of teenagers.

Appeal: With a subject like love, teenagers and young adults will flock to this book! Besides the subject though, another redeeming quality of this book stems from the actual authors of the poems. Though Betsy Franco did a wonderful job of choosing and organizing the poems, the real authors are young adults themselves! This will draw readers in and instantly make them feel more connected to the work. The age provides a commonality between reader and author that is sure to spark interest and curiosity. The poems provide a great deal of insight and plenty of opportunity for imaginations to roam; these too are great ways this book will appeal to young adult readers.

Meaning: These poems support both concrete and more abstract meanings. Because love is such a universal emotion (and there are so many different levels of love) the issues presented in this book can be applied to broader, unrelated situations as well. This shows evidence of abstract meanings. Some poems are also built on personal experiences of the author- this takes on a more concrete meaning as the poems have a strong tie to non-fiction and actual, real life experiences.

Rhythm and Sound: It’s hard to describe the rhythm and sound of these poems because no two poems are alike! Very few of the poems rhyme and instead depend on other sound devices. Alliteration, assonance and consonance are most regularly used. Because rhythm can be accomplished by line breaks and stanzas, these poems do possess a certain readability and fluency. Though they may not have an obvious beat, these poems will give readers a distinct rhythm without relying on a sing-song feel. These poems will be pleasing to the ear (as they are read aloud) and to the mind (when reading independently).

Language: The main point that makes the language of these poems so beautiful is the raw emotions that back the words. The language is strong and high quality- making the poems insightful and complex. This is a great way for readers to see the different levels of articulation that exists among people of the same age. Similes and metaphors fill the pages, along with the occasional personification. These students know how to use language well to get their message across and do so in a way that will motivate readers to fully utilize language in their own writings. I was blown away by the vocabulary of some of these poets; it’s nice to know youn adults still appreciate the English language (versus the crazy abbreviation lingo that’s taken over texting and emails)!

Imagery: Most often readers will be able to create their own mental pictures when reading these poems. The occasional sound and smell is also given. Readers will be able to create an image of the man or woman described in a poem, as well as able to relive an experience through outstanding descriptions and immense attention to detail. These poets paid close attention to the images they were producing and it showed!   

Emotional Impact: These poems are sure to evoke some serious emotions! When I was reading them, I went from smiling, to laughing, to crying within a span of two or three poems! With a topic like love, every reader will have something new to bring to the table and to relate to. By feeling such strong emotions when reading the poems, students will be more likely to enjoy and become engaged with the text. Making these types of connections to a text is exactly what educators hope will happen- by making emotional connections, readers will be more likely to continue reading and appreciating literature!

Layout and Organization: The book begins with a table of contents in which each of the one hundred poems is listed with its page number. Following the table of contents, Betsy Franco provides readers with an introduction describing the nature of the poems, their origins and how and why she compiled the collection. From there, the one hundred poems begin. There are no fancy illustrations to distract readers while reading these poems, and no strategies (such as concrete poetry) for drawing the reader in further. The poems are in black ink on white paper, in a clean and simple way. The poems are appropriate in length and each gets its own page or pages as necessary. I feel that this type of clarity will support an adult-like feel to the book. Teenagers don’t want a picture book- they want a mature and sophisticated read and they’re getting just that with this collection of poems.  

C. Example: Poem:

Love is Like

By: Hector Jasso, Age 16

the sweetness of honey

falling from a beehive.

You have to be careful

not to get stung.  

Introduction: Facilitating a class discussion about love would be a great way to get students thinking and activating prior knowledge about love (as if love isn’t already on their minds J). In doing so, we are laying a foundation for students to build upon when reading these poems or eventually creating their own poetry. After the class discussion, I would ask students to write one single sentence about love in their writing journals. Because this particular poem is so short, it would be beneficial for students to hear and see. Poetry can be short and sweet too!

Ideas for Sharing: I would like to see this poem shared by two people, reciting each line back and forth to one another. By emphasizing each line, readers (or listeners) are sure to get the message of the poem and really listen to the words.