Module 9: This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness

· Book cover image:

                                                       

    

· Book Summary:

This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman is a book of poems by the sixth graders in Mrs. Merz’s class. The assignment started as poems of apology modeled after the William Carlos Williams’s poem “This Is Just to Say” where the poet apologies for eating plums in the icebox, but the apology does not sound so heartfelt. The book is in two sections, part one is apologies and part two is responses. The students in this sixth grade class liked their poems so much they decided to put the poems all together in a book. When the book was completed, the students now thought it would be a good idea to send the poems to the person or people they apologized to and have that person write a poem in return. The sixth grade students did get most response poems back but a few had to be improvised by the students themselves. Some of  the original apology poems just like William Carlos Williams’s are not very sincere, and the recipients of the apology poems too at times are not very forgiving. Throughout the book of poems, it is evident that the apologizer and the recipient of the apology have a relationship, whether good, bad, or indifferent. This book is a wonderful book of poetry that is straightforward,  uncomplicated, and so real.

· APA Reference of Book:

Sidman, J. (2007). This is just to say: Poems of apology and forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

· Impressions:

I read the front sleeve of the book to decipher what the title, This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness, meant. The introduction was also very helpful and so I decided to read the poems together, the apology first followed by the response. I next read William Carlos Williams’s poem “This Is Just to Say” and found out he is apologizing for eating all the plums in the refrigerator but is not very sincere in his apology. It was funny with his added comments after his apology saying the plums were delicious, sweet, and so cold. Not exactly an act of contrition. The first student apology is to the office lady, Mrs. Garcia (I think we all have a Mrs. Garcia in our offices) from Thomas for eating the jelly doughnuts in the teacher’s lounge. Like William Carlos William, Thomas is just as apologetic (not) for the delicious, so sweet,  and so gloppy confections. Mrs. Garcia, in her response poem, knows it is he who is taking the doughnuts and forgives Thomas his transgressions, but will have to call his mother. Just too funny! The poems continue this way with truly heartfelt apologies from Carmen to Mrs. Merz for her choice of wardrobe, and Mrs. Merz’s response in a haiku. Reuben and Kyle both apologize to each other for their ruthlessness during dodge ball and they respond together to each other in a poem in two voices. The poems and responses bond the two, the apologizers and the responders, together in such a way that it gives the reader a glimpse into life like nothing else it seems. Alyssa is so pained by how she hurt her sister Carrie, the pain in her poem is evident. Yet Carrie writes a “Roses are Red” poem back to Alyssa and Carrie definitely does not forgive Alyssa. Some poems are just hilarious while others are painful to finish reading. Jewel writes to her father for forgiveness and in her apology poem it is clear she has nothing to apologize for. In the response poem, Jewel writes again saying her father did write back but she sums his letter up for the reader. If Jewel’s first poem was not hard on the reader’s heart, the second poem will just tear it to shreds. Overall the poems, both the apology and response, are very true to life and uplifting. I was not able to read this book in one sitting. It was too hard at times to see how our children view the world they live in. I realize this is a book of fiction and is from Joyce Sidman’s imagination, yet the situations presented in the poems are very realistic.

· Professional Review:

Every school should purchase a copy of this book of poetic apologies and responses. The title poem by William Carlos Williams sets the tone. Sidman sought help in writing a poem to her mother from a group of fourth graders in one of her writing workshops, which became the impetus for this book. Zagarenski uses typical schoolchildren materials as a background for her colorful, whimsical drawings that brighten the pages of this book. She captures the essence of childhood on each page. The poems reflect different stages of resolution; some apologies are sincere, others not. Some of the responses are more forgiving than others. Some of the poems are humorous, some sad, and some of the responses are unexpected. The poems that touched my heart the most were "It Was Quiet" by Tenzin, who described the death of her beloved dog Einstein, and "Next Time," Jewel's poem to her dad who had abandoned her several times. Lessons about accepting responsibility, seeking forgiveness, and righting wrongs are all part of the fabric of this book. Each school library could benefit from adding this wonderful book of poems to its collection. Recommended. Susie Nightingale, Library Media Specialist, Santa Fe Trail Junior High School, Olathe, Kansas

Nightingale, S. (2007). This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Library Media Connection, 26(3), 88-89.

· Library Uses:

Apology Poems:

Have students think about what they could apologize for. Maybe something they really are not so sorry about. Discuss the William Carlos Williams poem and what they think about his apology.

Discuss with the students what you may want to apologize for and have the student help you write your apology poem just like Mrs. Metz wrote a poem to her mother. Remind student to include the five senses in the poem.

Now have students think about their apology poem. Make sure the poet makes the reader understand what the write did, how they feel, and five senses details also. If the students want they may take the position of another like the hamster on page 37.

Response Poems:

If the students can have them give their apology poems to the person wronged and ask if they will write back.

If that person does not write back the writer can them write either a poem from that person’s viewpoint or what that person said to the poet.

Make a class book of the collection of apology and response poems.