Joyful Noise

Fleischman’s collection of poetry would indeed be a good choice for a classroom. Because of the unique format of this poetry, it would be essential to read each poem slowly with a special emphasis on pronunciation and timbre placed on each word. As a teacher, the notion of cadence must be discussed in depth in order to allow these poems to speak to the listeners – something that could prove challenging because two readers must come together and actually perform the lines in unison instead of merely reading them.

The basic premise of this tiny book juxtaposes the seemingly insignificant things in life with the enormous. Little creatures – bugs, crawlers, flyers, and swimmers – are not only described under a microscope, but also intertwine with life on the largest of scales. The creatures are personified in that they can feel joy and despair, ponder the seasons and cosmos, and are fully aware of time’s passing.

At first I didn’t like the format because it was so different, but the merit of this technique could be a very valuable teaching tool. In the poem entitled “Mayflies,” one can see how a student’s vocabulary is sharpened by the singsong nature and cadence of the poem. On the left reads “fevered,” on the right responds “frenzied,” and zooming back to the left and the other reader, the cadence is finished with the word “rushed.” All three words are similar, but different. Thesaurus activities could show how the words are related and different, and evidence could be found as to why these three words are appropriate descriptions of the mayflies.

Many fruitful learning opportunities could also arise from this poetry in terms of syntax. In the poem entitled “Requiem,” there is a verse that reads, “Let light undying shine upon them.” Why not “undying light?” Are they basically the same? Are these prose poems, rhymed poems, or a combination?

One nice thing about this book is that the reader is bound to have personal connections or memories related to at least a few of the creatures, although most would probably be foreign. Personally, I liked the poems about the cicadas, the fireflies, the wasps, and the mayflies because they remind me of my childhood.

Playing outside in our yard towards the end of summer we’d always hear the haunting buzz of the cicada (though we called them locusts) and occasionally find their hardened, abandoned shells on the sides of trees, wondering where they’d flown to. And like the cicada, seeing fireflies reassures me that its summertime. The wasp, even though I hate and fear his sting, reminds me of our old garage that has long been gone, and how the wasps would love to build their nests on the underside of the roof; as a bored young boy I dared to spray them with hoses or knock their nests down with a golf club, then run like hell when they became angry. And the mayflies, any fisherman will tell you, are horrible for the walleye bite when they release themselves from the bottom of the lake floor.

Thus is follows that, all in all, this collection of poetry is a celebration of life and its cycles. Insects often disgust and annoy people, but, as the author shows, they too have challenges to overcome, and like humans have their own remarkable skills or talents. The language is simple yet profoundly intimate and sly. There are enough uncommon words to challenge young readers, yet the majority are familiar and accessible. So, not only is this book a valuable reader tool, but also a great example when teaching students about composing their own poetry in that the author uses words, metaphor, and narrative techniques that truly paint a picture.