When something comes across my radar multiple times, I pay attention. This is the first year I’ve heard of the Sealy Challenge. It is a challenge to read a poetry book each day in the month of August. I read poetry books for more than one purpose.
- To enjoy lyrical language
- To inform my own writing practice
- To get ideas for teaching
The first book I read was Jacqueline Woodson’s Before the Ever After which accomplishes all three goals.
I picked up the book at a new local independent bookstore, and it was signed! Ha! What a find!
Before the Ever After is a middle grade novel-in-verse. To read a review, click here.
For my take on the Sealy Challenge, I’d like feature one poem and respond to it.
This poem captures a few themes of the verse novel. ZJ’s father is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and his friends help him through the struggle. Football is a major topic, but ZJ is a musician and has troubled feelings about football due to his father’s illness. The repetition of “Used to” effectively communicates ZJ’s continued struggle about how things used to be before his father was ill.
Craft moves I love in this poem are the repetition (anaphora) of “Used to be” as well as that ending. “Just feels like that.” becomes “Just. Feels. Like. That.” This craft move is something I can try in my own writing and I can show kids how to use it with effectiveness.
Jacqueline Woodson, while being a master of craft, does not overuse any literary element. It just feels natural. It’s. Just. Natural.
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret,
I saw the Sealy challenge for this month too, and my only thought was maybe next year when I have more access to poetry books. I hope so. I love your take on the challenge–to share one poem and respond to it. It will be a great collection for mini lessons for you and your readers. This “Used to Be” is so powerful.
Just. Wow. Jacqueline Woodson! I love how authors can put you right into their story, here at the kitchen table with those big glasses of milk and lemon cakes and a larger-than-life cool dad. Thank you for sharing!
I have too many unread poetry books so I’m hoping this will get me to read them. Thanks for reading.
[…] #TheSealyChallenge, I have read 5 poetry books. This week I wrote blog posts about Before the Ever After, a verse novel by Jacqueline Woodson, and Ilya Kaminsky’s Deaf Republic, a totally different […]