Poetry for Young People: Robert Browning - Hardcover

Browning, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0806955430 ISBN 13: 9780806955438

Publisher: Union Square Kids, 2001

Synopsis

Robert Browning's poetry has mysteries and a beauty of language that youngsters will love exploring, from the classic and beloved Pied Piper of Hamelin to the charming verse play Pippa Passes. Perfect for parents to read aloud or along with their children, and accompanied by striking artwork, here is a selection of some of Browning's most reader-friendly works. Several paintings compellingly capture Pied Piper's drama: the Piper, smiling as he offers his services; the rats fleeing the town in droves; and the entranced children who will soon be lost forever. Home Thoughts from Abroad ("Oh, to be in England, Now that April's there...") features illustrations of the countryside in full bloom. There are 25 excerpts in all, fully annotated to enrich young readers' understanding of these poems.

Dr. Eileen Gillooly earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University, where she is Director of the Core Curriculum and teaches nineteenth-century literature and culture. She has also edited another entry in the Poetry for Young People series on Rudyard Kipling.


Joel Spector's work appears regularly in books, in newspapers such as the New York Times, in magazines such as Business Week, Good Housekeeping, and Newsweek, and throughout Europe and in Japan. He lives in Connecticut.

About this title

About the Author

NY, NY/Spector: New Milford, CT.

Reviews

Gr 7 Up-To say, as Gillooly does in her succinct introduction, that "Robert Browning is one of the most beloved English poets-and one of the most difficult to read" is an understatement. She does a remarkable job, however, of selecting the most accessible poems. The opening piece, lines from "Pippa Passes," is wisely chosen for its clarity and renown: "God's in his heaven-/All's right with the world!" It is followed by excerpts from "The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Child's Story," which has an image-rich, familiar story line. Most of the remaining poems may be challenging to independent readers, given their obscure references and 19th-century English, but Gillooly's clear introductions to each one give valuable assistance in understanding them. For example, she urges readers to picture Browning at 22, when he traveled as a diplomatic secretary to Russia, "galloping from city to city in a horse-drawn carriage. The rapid, constant movement of the horses sank deeply into his memory and imagination," as they can see in "Through the Metidja to Abd-el-Kadr." The presentation of each poem includes explanations of words and references that might be unfamiliar today. Throughout, Spector's spectacular, energy-filled paintings further illuminate the meanings of the poetry, providing historical details and defining settings visually. This is a fine introduction to the poetry of Browning, and in the hands of an astute teacher or parent, it can greatly increase an older student's appreciation for classical literature.

Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Two additions to the Poetry for Young People series include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. by Frances Schoonmaker, illus. by Chad Wallace, and Robert Browning, ed. by Eileen Gillooly, illus. by Joel Spector. Both follow the format of previous titles, beginning with a brief biography and incorporating a generous sampling of the poet's works. The first volume features an excerpt from Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha" and his complete "Paul Revere's Ride." Browning's "My Last Duchess" and his relationship to his wife, poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, gain attention in the latter volume.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0806955430
• ISBN 13: 9780806955438
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Spector Joel
• Number of pages: 48
• Editor: Gillooly Eileen