America at War Review

 Module 1

America at War by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Bibliography

Bennett Hopkins, L. (2008). America at war (S. Acorn, Illus.). Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 9781416918325

Summary
Classified as a children’s poetry anthology, this book is suitable for readers of any age. The book begins with a table of contents which chronologically lists the eight wars in which America has participated and poems written for each of these wars. Following the table of contents is an introduction written by Bennet Hopkins explaining that this book is “not about war. It is about the poetry of war” and the unchanging emotions over hundreds of years associated with war (ix). The prologue and epilogue are poems. Before each war section, is a brief page detailing facts about the war followed by the selected poems. The backmatter includes acknowledgments and three different indices for finding poems. This large, hardback book has a poem on each page accompanied by its own brightly colored illustration which beautifully reflects the story of each poem. 

Analysis
A thoughtfully curated collection is divided by the wars in which the United States fought. As mentioned in the introduction, some poems were written by past poets who experienced the tragedy of war, but the majority of the poems were recently crafted specifically for this collection. Although we are provided with the years of the war, missing are the dates of the writing of the poems which would benefit readers with the context of knowing whether or not this is a primary source or a current reflection of a time bygone. Because this is a curated list, there is no consistency in the poetic elements between the poems, yet each poem does create an appropriate emotional effect. The collection was created for young readers, but the themes of the included poems are impactful for any reader. However, for younger or less knowledgeable readers, some background may need to be provided prior to reading. For example, a poem that toys with the “Kilroy was here” slogan and Harriet Tubman’s secret birdcalls for the underground railroad would be examples where readers may need some more context to get a fuller understanding of the poem’s meaning. With poems from the likes of Walt Whitman, e.e. cummings, and David Westcott Brown, there is no shortage of depth to explore. The Illustrations by Stephen Alcorn are reminiscent of World War I art and posters. Each poem has an accompanying illustration with bold colors and ambiguous interpretations, which aid in creating a somber tone. 

The exploration of each war allows for a little bit of history to be learned, but it is evident that the purpose is understanding the emotions of war, not the facts of it. Throughout the collection, there is a variety of language and rhyme schemes with more poems being open than not. However, Sara Holbrook’s work about a poet being sent to war is strengthened by her rhymes “War is the fiercest art. Trading/ Pen for gun, evading/ Death, armies invading. This hate/ Was not his normal state” (Holbrook, p.55). The collection is overwhelmed with visual imagery of war. More recent wars are televised for the public eye “and shrouds my screen with the blackness of war” (Wagner, p. 62) to the earliest images of hunger during the Civil War “This war thins mothers’ sons to skeletons” (Patrick Lewis, p.15). The figurative language and imagery used are fitting tools for young readers to grasp the emotions of war.

Despite the occasional patriotic or hopeful poem, the majority of the selection evokes the true feelings that war brings: fear and sadness, as exemplified by Bruce Balan: “And the civilians?/Cut down by crossfire,/Bombed in their beds” (Balan, p.42). A large selection of the poems is written as a family member of someone fighting or lost in war, which allows for an opportunity of empathy by readers of any age. Janet Settimo creates such an occasion with her poem about a sister sending a care package to her sister who is at war, but panic and dread settles when the post worker asks what she would like done with the package if they are unable to find the soldier “But my heart is screaming find her./ FIND HER!” (Settimo, p.71). Overall, the collection is extremely successful in creating an empathic reader.

Excerpt

Vocabulary Lesson
Ann Wagner

We don’t have wars.

We have

conflicts
campaigns
operations
escalations
missions
offensives
preemptive strikes.

We don’t have soldiers. 

We have 

peace keepers
troops
servicemen
servicewomen
forces
coalitions
units. 

We don’t have mistakes in combat.

We have

incidents
accidents
friendly fire
flawed intelligence.

And we don’t have death.

We have

casualties
loss of life
collateral damage. 

What we do have is

a careful vocabulary. 

Activity
Despite this poem coming from a Children’s poetry book, I feel it would be very suitable for high school students and a lesson on diction. We will begin with a conversation reminding ourselves what diction is and how word choice influences overall meaning.  Students will reminisce on times when they purposely chose certain words to manipulate their listeners, for example, saying, “I told my sister to be quiet" instead of, "I screamed at her to shut up” to avoid punishment from my mom. We will then shift into a discussion about how governments may use the same tactic to soften difficult news or influence readers. 

We will do a reading of the poem. The second reading, we will choral read the lists of “we have…” to add impact to word choice. 

We will close out our session by finding articles about war and highlighting any words that match the lists of what “we have” from the poem, then we will replace the highlighted words with war, soldiers, combat, or death, depending on which is an appropriate switch. Students will re-read the article with their revised words and reflect on the impact those changes have had on their perspective as a reader. 

Reviews From Booklist: “Once the poems begin, though, readers will be transported from the broad view to the particulars by the thoughts, words, and experiences of people affected by war in different ways. The poems will touch readers with their sharp poignancy and undeniable power. Throughout the well-designed book, the expressive watercolor artwork enhances the poetry and gives a sweeping sense of unity and dignity to diverse points of view.”

From Library Media Collection: “The poignant watercolor illustrations, emotional in their stark simplicity, add to the overall impact of the text, capturing the human cost of war. This is not a history book about war itself, but rather a journey into the emotions brought about by such cruel times. This powerful collection would be a valuable addition to a middle school or high school discussion of United States history and the impact of war on humanity.”