LOCOMOTION by Jacqueline Woodson
(Woodson, Jacqueline. 2003. LOCOMOTION. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231153)
In this touching verse novel, Jacqueline Woodson tells an incredible story through a series of poems written from the perspective of a fictional young African American boy. The fictional young poet, Lonnie Collins Motion, is struggling to cope with the death of his parents, separation from his younger sister, a new foster family, tumultuous relationships with peers, and his own budding talent as a poet in school. While the story revealed through Lonnie’s poems can be overwhelmingly tragic and heartbreaking at times, an underlying current of hope and promise of good things to come is also revealed. An example of the sadness shared in this book comes from the poem titled EPITAPH POEM:
(Woodson, Jacqueline. 2003. LOCOMOTION. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231153)
In this touching verse novel, Jacqueline Woodson tells an incredible story through a series of poems written from the perspective of a fictional young African American boy. The fictional young poet, Lonnie Collins Motion, is struggling to cope with the death of his parents, separation from his younger sister, a new foster family, tumultuous relationships with peers, and his own budding talent as a poet in school. While the story revealed through Lonnie’s poems can be overwhelmingly tragic and heartbreaking at times, an underlying current of hope and promise of good things to come is also revealed. An example of the sadness shared in this book comes from the poem titled EPITAPH POEM:
EPITAPH POEM
By Jacqueline Woodson
for Mama
Liliana C. Motion
Born in October
died in December
But that’s not all
that I remember.
Balancing this sadness is an element of hope that develops throughout the poems. The following lines from Woodson’s poem LILI’S NEW MAMA’S HOUSE are a great example of this optimism: “God’s in this room, I whisper to Lili. / She looks at me a minute without saying anything. / Then she smiles. / God is everywhere, I say. / And with the sun coming in the room that way / and my sister smiling so big and the plate / of cookies there if you want them, just take one / at a time and chew it slow / I feel Him, right there beside us.”
Another major theme present in LOCOMOTION is Lonnie’s developing poetic talent. Lonnie frequently talks about Ms. Marcus, a teacher who attempts to nurture his talent, and he describes his thoughts about writing poetry as well as explaining many different forms of poetry in his writing. The poem titled LINE BREAK POEM shows readers what Lonnie is learning about poetry:
Another major theme present in LOCOMOTION is Lonnie’s developing poetic talent. Lonnie frequently talks about Ms. Marcus, a teacher who attempts to nurture his talent, and he describes his thoughts about writing poetry as well as explaining many different forms of poetry in his writing. The poem titled LINE BREAK POEM shows readers what Lonnie is learning about poetry:
LINE BREAK POEM
By Jacqueline Woodson
Ms. Marcus
says
line breaks help
us figure out
what matters
to the poet
Don’t jumble your ideas
Ms. Marcus says
Every line
should count.
By Jacqueline Woodson
Ms. Marcus
says
line breaks help
us figure out
what matters
to the poet
Don’t jumble your ideas
Ms. Marcus says
Every line
should count.
The poems in LOCOMOTION are mostly sequenced in order of occurrence in Lonnie’s life, with some of the poems flashing back to pivotal moments in his young life. The majority of poems do not rhyme, although some do. Lonnie uses numerous different forms of poetry, including haiku, free verse, sonnet, epistle poem, and a list poem. Figurative language is also present in some of the poems, and an example of figurative language can be found in the following lines of the poem POEM BOOK: “But when Miss Edna’s voice comes on, the ideas in my / head go out like a candle and all you see left is this little / string of smoke that disappears real quick / before I even have a chance to find out / what it’s trying to say.”
All in all, LOCOMOTION does an outstanding job illuminating both the good and bad realities of life. Children will be able to relate to Lonnie’s poetry, whether the poems cover serious topics or a child’s everyday experiences with school and peers. Since Lonnie does such a great job of describing his thoughts and feelings about writing poetry in a manner with which children can relate to, LOCOMOTION is an excellent choice for young aspiring writers and poets. Not only does LOCOMOTION tell a young boy’s riveting tale in a unique way, but it also serves as an excellent example for children of how poetry can offer healing and solace during difficult times.
All in all, LOCOMOTION does an outstanding job illuminating both the good and bad realities of life. Children will be able to relate to Lonnie’s poetry, whether the poems cover serious topics or a child’s everyday experiences with school and peers. Since Lonnie does such a great job of describing his thoughts and feelings about writing poetry in a manner with which children can relate to, LOCOMOTION is an excellent choice for young aspiring writers and poets. Not only does LOCOMOTION tell a young boy’s riveting tale in a unique way, but it also serves as an excellent example for children of how poetry can offer healing and solace during difficult times.
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