Friday, May 4, 2012

Poetry Friday: A Pocketful of Stars--Poems About the Night

This week for Poetry Friday, I checked out of the library  A Pocketful of Stars:  Poems about the Night (compiled by Nikki Siegen-Smith).  This collection covers many aspects of the night and bedtime—imaginary sights, peaceful images, scary feelings, humorous sentiments, and realistic moments. In the Introduction, Siegen-Smith states:  “Poetry has a great way of making fears manageable.  Darkness can be scary; things can feel different at night.  Children will recognize that other people experience similar feelings… [Poems] give them a chance to explore their own experiences.” The beautiful illustrations by Emma Shaw-Smith reflect many of the emotions experienced at night—fear, wonder, peace, and hope.  In addition, the pictures depict the multicultural world we live in, reinforcing the idea that these night time feelings are universal.  "Night Comes" and "Silver" are a couple of my favorites from the anthology.  The use of imagery, personification, and sound device make these selections pleasing to the ears and stimulating to the mind. 

“Night Comes” (by Beatrice Schenk deRegniers)
Night comes
leaking
out of the sky.

Stars come
peeking.

Moon come
sneaking
silvery—sly.

Who is
shaking,
shivery,
quaking?

Who is afraid
of the night?

Not I.

“Silver” (by Walter de la Mare)
Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;
One by one the casements catch
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched on his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog;
From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep
Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep;
A harvest mouse goes scampering by,
With silver claws, and silver eye;
And moveless fish in the water gleam,
By silver reeds in a silver stream.

Visit Wild Rose Reader for the entire run down of blogs sharing poems for Poetry Friday.  

5 comments:

  1. I have used this book many times in poetry work, or just reading some favorites aloud. You are so right, it is beautiful. Don't you love "Night comes/ leaking/out of the sky? Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I've always loved that poem by Walter de la Mare:
    Slowly, silently, now the moon
    Walks the night in her silver shoon

    Thanks for the review of A Pocketful of Stars and thanks for dropping by Musings with your comment.

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  3. This sounds like such a delightful book. It reminded me of a poetry book that I also loved and reviewed: Night of the Whippoorwill and A Full Moon is Rising. They would be great companion books, I think. :)

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  4. I love these poems even more because we went out last night and watched the once-in-a-very-long-time moon rise huge and orange over a small in-town quarry lake.

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  5. "Night Comes" especially resonated with me...maybe because I have two daughters who don't like being in the dark. I will have to share this poem with them. Thanks!

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