The 59 poems are divided into five chapters that represent phases of love. They are �The Beginning of Love,� �In Love,� �Alone in Love,� �The End of Love,� and �Remembering Love.� Each chapter opens with a letter representing that phase of love, written by a famous author or poet to his or her lover. Poets represented in the anthology include classical as well as contemporary, and those in between. Representative poets are Shakespeare, e. e. cummings, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Langston Hughes, Robert Browning, Anne Bradstreet and Emily Dickinson. More contemporary poets include Vicki Feaver, Sophie Hannah, Maya Angelou, Robert Creeley, Barton Sutter, and Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
Like all poetry, to have meaning to the reader, it must be within the experience of the reader. Teens who have experienced emotionally mature love will relate well to these poems. This collection is not intended for �tweens� or younger adolescents. Adults who are responsible for introducing books to young people should consider carefully before recommending this one. Love is a mature subject, and it is dealt with seriously in this book. These are not young adult poems � they are adult poems which the author feels will strike a chord with mature young adults.
One poem which teens may find particularly accessible is �The End of Love� by Sophie Hannah. Born in 1971, Ms. Hannah writes in a contemporary style, using familiar language. In it, she suggests that when love ends, it is not always a morose occasion for mourning, but should sometimes be celebrated. �The end of love should be a big event. It should involve the hiring of a hall. Why the hell not? It happens to us all.� (p. 66) Helping a young person see the end of their first love as a rite of passage into adulthood, rather than a terminal condition, can share a healthy message.
The book itself is attractively designed. The cover, with a photograph of hands holding a heart, is done in blush pink lettering against a black background. Double-spread photographs, in pale pink and black as opposed to black and white, introduce each chapter. Headings and titles are also in pink, and the end papers are rose pink. There is ample white space on every page, and the volume itself is small enough to slip into a purse or back-pack.
The table of contents is helpful in locating favorite poems, and the introduction provides insights and observations that lay solid groundwork for enhancing young readers appreciation and understanding of the role poetry can play in their lives. �Janeczko chooses a subject that will certainly draw interest, and the combination of letters and poetry offers a fine glimpse of what poets do: make beautiful, disciplined work from their deepest, undisciplined feelings.� (Booklist, January 1, 2004)
Related Websites
CBC Archives - Paul B. Janeczko:
http://www.cbcbooks.org/html/pauljaneczko.html
Love Poetry: http://www.lovepoetry.com/
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 15 November 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY