Soft Hay Will Catch You: Poems by Young People by Sandford Lyne and Julie Monks

Image retrieved from www.amazon.com

Bibliography:

Lyne, Sandford, and Julie Monks. Soft Hay Will Catch You: Poems by Young People. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004. ISBN 0689834608

Review and Critical Analysis:

When editor Sandford Lyne made a “barter trip” back to his home state of Kentucky to teach a poetry-writing workshop and stay with relatives on their farms, it resulted in this collection of poems. The poems are written by 100 young people, ages eight to eighteen. The poems are written about real life for these young students - “corn, soybeans, and tobacco, about cattle and tractors and creeks and hills and barns, about their mamas and daddies, their aunts and uncles and cousins … loneliness and solitude, about loss and recovery.” This collection of poems tells the story of how these 100 young people discovered the beauty of poetry.

The book begins with acknowledgments and an introduction explaining the background of the poems. Following that, the poems are written in a variety of forms and are divided into six categories: poems about the search for self, poems about solitude and loneliness, poems about the home and family, poems about the soul’s journey and the circle of life, poems about awakenings and discoveries, and poems about our connection to place. The book ends with an index of poets and a note about the editor, Sandford Lyne.

It’s incredible how young writers are able to evoke such strong images in these short poems. The strong imagery begins with the very first poem, written by a fifth grader, that speaks of having the courage to explore the darkness rather than “run from / the shadows and sounds” because “there I / find / myself.” The poem “Integrity,” written by a seventh grader, says, “Keep going, I tell myself, alone in my rowboat. / A full moon flanks me in the dark, / making reflections like little candles / against the soft, dark water.” What an incredible image, and so beautifully written. Other poems stand out because of their emotional impact. The poem “Sad” says, “I’m sad / when I see / children with their grandparents. / I’m sad / when I see / kids with two parents, not one. / I’m sad / when I see / what I’ve missed.” Sixth grader Lynne Schwarzer grips the hearts of her readers with this simple poem written to express her sadness about what she is missing.

Because these poems are written by a wide age range of students, they also cover a wide range of writing ability and life experience. This makes the book appealing to young readers. Students of all ages will enjoy the book. They might find some poems too mature or too juvenile, but no matter the age, they’ll find some poems that speak them, whether it’s about nature, family, or their own search for self.

Randomly placed throughout the book are Julie Monk’s illustrations. Each one is a full page, folk style, pastel oil painting. The illustrations have a childlike feel to them. They are simple, and their colors and lines add to the poems. They capture the mood of the poems, while providing a nice break in reading for young readers.

Poem Used to Support Critical Analysis:

A Wonderful Place

By Crystal Kim, Grade 4

In my dreams I dream of a barn,

not just any barn,

a special barn.

When you go inside, a bright light shines,

and a ladder to heaven stands before you,

and if you fall -

no worry -

soft hay will catch you.

The title of the book comes from this poem. I would read the poem to students, and we would discuss the images and language the writer uses to describe this wonderful place, the barn. What is it that makes the barn such a wonderful place to her? Can you picture yourself in the barn she describes? What does the line “and a ladder to heaven stands before you” make you picture in your mind? Could the barn in the poem represent any other place? We would further discuss how to use imagery and figurative language to describe a place in such a way that readers feel like they are there visiting the place you are describing. I would have students choose a “wonderful place” that’s probably wonderful only to them. I would have them make a list of what makes that place wonderful and then think of images and figurative language to use to describe those things. In the end, they would put their thoughts together and write a poem to describe their own wonderful place.