#1   To This Day By Shayne Koyczan


To This Day, by Shayne Koyczan is about what it is like to be different, in school. In his poem he talked about himself and two of his friends, who were all bullied for being different. We all have heard the nursery rhyme that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." "As if broken bones hurt more than the names we got called." Shayne showed that words can hurt more that any broken bones. One aspect of this poem is a simile. He wrote that "kids used to say she looked like a wrong answer that someone tried to erase but couldn't quite get the job done." It also reflects the name calling and how mean kids can be. The theme is "if you can't see anything beautiful about yourself get a better mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer because there is something inside you that made you keep trying despite every one who told you to quit." I liked this poem because it made me think there is hope for change.






#2    So You Want To Be A Writer By Charles Bukowski


    So You Want To Be A Writer, by Charles Bukowski is about more than being a writer. It applies to everything in life. If you can't be yourself, if you can't freely express your thoughts, unless you can be spontaneous, "unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket...don't do it." Personification is used when the author says "the libraries of the world have yawned themselves to sleep over your kind." In a repetitive manner the poet is effectively telling us what not to do. I liked the poem because of its message. Lots of people try many things until they find the one they are really good at.




#3 Brave Seventh Grade Viking Warrior By Taylor Mali


Brave Seventh Grade Viking Warrior, by Taylor Mali has a definite theme showing clearly that kids really do care. Tony is a seventh grade boy fighting cancer. He is returning to school after being absent for one month. Due to his loss of hair "the other 12 boys shaved their heads in solidarity." When he passed away, the other 12 boys burned the miniature Viking ship that they had all worked together on in class. Taylor Mali used simile when he wrote "and you must all work together like warriors." I liked the way the poem was written in a positive way. It could have been very depressing with the passing of the boy. In a symbolic gesture the boys honored him like a Viking warrior.