Salting the Ocean Review
Module 6
Bibliography
Nye, N. S. (2000). Salting the ocean: 100 poems by young poets (A. Bryan,
Illus.). Greenwillow Books.
Summary
This poetry anthology is as the title states: poems by young people in
grades one through twelve, but they are for people of all ages. Opening the book,
you will find a table of contents with four clearly labeled sections detailing
how many poems each section contains and the common theme of the poems within
the section. Additionally, it lists the backmatter. Beginning with the
introduction in three parts, the author addresses anyone and a “couple in Nova
Scotia,” “teachers, librarians, parents, and other friends who may pick up this
book,” and “to the poets” (2000, p. ix, xi, xiiii). Through this introduction,
she provides a history of her writing and teaching, and encouragement to those
who currently or will write poetry. Each section is sandwiched with vibrant
illustrations. In the back matter, you will find an afterword that describes
her effort to track down these young (now older) poets, and a call for them to
find her, acknowledgements, suggestions for further reading, and an index of
poems.
Analysis
As declared on the front cover art, the poems range in type
from free verse to couplet and everything in between. I think the simple cover
and art within does a nice job of remaining neutral, yet vibrant, to try to
attract a wide audience. Moving into the pages, I appreciate Nye’s grouping of
poems into sections by theme because beyond this, there is little the poems
have in common, except, of course, that young people wrote them. But the ages
of the poets vary so greatly that it is a stretch to count this as a
commonality. The poems range in depth, skill, and use of poetic devices, so you
are left to guess the age or grade of the poet; an addition I would have appreciated.
However, perhaps the absence of this detail allows the reader to focus on the
words of the poem rather than the poet themselves.
I did find that the majority of the poems had a gloomy mood. This may be a reflection on the need for space to express these emotions in young people. However, not all poems were sorrowful, some were about love, others about writing, and one even about the skill of Michelangelo. I also noticed that there were very few poems with a rhyme scheme, although this is neither a positive nor negative observation. It seems like most poems told a type of story about the life of the poet, for example, a poem about a spelling test and the poet only got one correct-loneliness. Or there is one about “Mimi” (p. 72), another about “Nana” (p. 74), and still another about “Grandmother” (75); all of them about grandmothers, but each unique in their relationship and expression of love.
Excerpt
It’s Inside of
Me!
The movement of
rivers is in me.
In my blood.
The smartness of Einstein
is in me.
In my body.
The color of trees
is in me.
In my skin.
The looseness of dirt
is in me.
In my bones.
The fastness of rabbits
is in me.
In my legs.
The seeing of eagles
is in me.
In my eyes.
The neatness of cats
is in me.
In my hands.
That is me.
Adam Delavan
Activity
Just as each book we read makes up a bit of our knowledge and who we are,
so do our experiences and surroundings. This poem creates a unique rhythm with
its line breaks and repetition that adds to the meaning of who Adam is.
Students will brainstorm what or who makes up who they are. They do not have to
mimic the rhythm of this poem, they just need to create a poem that expresses what
makes them them, taking into consideration how the rhythm of the poem reflects
their person.
Reviews
From Booklist: “Genuine, urgent, creative, and yearning,
the accomplished voices in this excellent anthology's best entries will sweep
up poetry fans and encourage young writers in their own search for a voice.”
From Library
Talk: “This collection of poems written by students in Nye's poetry
workshops is an incredible teaching aide, as well as an inspiration for anyone,
from age eight to 80, who might be tempted to write.”
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