M6: Janeczko Collection

M6: Janeczko Collection

A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms

Ivana Marmolejo

Bibliography

Janeczko, Paul B., and Christopher Raschka. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. Cambridge (Massachusetts): Candlewick Press, 2005. 

Summary

A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms is a treasure trove of poetic forms. It includes twenty-nine different poetic forms collected from many different poets, including Gary Soto and Shakespeare. The book provides notes at the bottom of each poetic form that describes the characteristics of the form. There is also a section at the back of the book that gives more information about the poetic forms and reasons why decisions were made by the authors in their writing. 

Author, Paul B. Janeczko suggests that readers read the poem, the notes at the bottom, and then the extra information in the back. Readers are provided with a table of contents by poetic form, and they can read the poems in any order they want. The vivid illustrations are an added gem that readers will enjoy. 

Analysis

This book of poetry can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Readers will find this book informational and inspirational. Readers will be eager to attempt writing some of these poetic forms. The tone of this collection is fun, lighthearted, and inspirational. 

The book features twenty-nine different poetic forms. Some of the less complicated poetic forms are couplet, haiku, opposites, acrostic, and list. Some of the more complex poetic forms are double dactyl, sonnet, villanelle, pantoum, and others. The introduction of the poetry book warns readers to be patient with the poetic forms. Readers will enjoy reading about the intricacies of the poems and the great attention to detail in which the authors took to create their masterpieces.

The poems feature figurative language, such as metaphors and onomatopoeia. There is a concrete poem after which the book is named called, “A Kick in the Head”. The words and letters are masterfully placed on the page so that the reader can see a stick figure made of words kicking a ball. Another poetic device used is rhyming. A poem called, “Back-to-School Blues” begins with, “Just wiggling my toes/ in my brand new shoes./ Guess I’ve got a case/ of the back-to-school blues./” All readers will enjoy learning about the different poetic forms and having an accompanying poem to read.

Excerpt and Use

This book inspires writing. I would select some of the less complicated poetic forms to begin and allow my students to have fun with poetry. I think younger students would enjoy writing opposites poems. We would discuss the poetic form. Students would learn that this poetic form defines opposites by writing them in couplets and is two to eight lines long. Students could write opposites about anything. We would brainstorm opposites ideas on sheet paper: siblings, fruits, animals, colors, seasons, etc. Students would enjoy writing their poems and adding an illustration for their poem.