Module 4: LS 5663 Spring 2012: Biography

Poetry Across the Curriculum: Biographical Poetry

Bibliographic information:

McGill, Alice, and Michael Cummings. In the hollow of your hand: slave lullabies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. ISBN: 0395857554

Review:

Alice McGill’s In the Hollow of Your Hand; Slave Lullabies is a collection of poems passed down by members of her family who were slaves. The rhythmic storytelling and nonsense rhymes will stimulate readers’ emotions and imaginations as they expose them to the real life hardships slaves endured. McGill explains that these poems should be thought of as “musical stories” that express love in spite of the pain and sadness these families suffered. She also provides readers with insight into the lives of the poets/singers through the eyes of their descendants.

The poets are unknown outside of the author’s friends and family. McGill confesses that although she doesn’t know the origin of all of the poems, she tried to determine the sources of these descriptions of trials and celebrations her ancestors experienced. Readers will enjoy the silly as well as slightly frightening moods these poems convey.

The thirteen poems are arranged in a two page layout of a poem, artwork and background information about each poem or poet over two pages. Sheet music as well as a CD are included and allow readers to connect with the poetry on a more meaningful level. Along with an acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo and other percussion instruments, McGill is the singer and the storyteller on the accompanying CD. Artist Michael Cummings has chosen various fabric and paper bits to create intense and powerful quilt collages to illustrate this collection. There is no pagination, table of contents or index; however the readers will appreciate how the introduction explains the connections the poems have to the real life people in McGill’s life. She also offers an “About the Lullaby” section that tells readers how and why the music and lyrics may have changed due to the traveling that may have occurred from plantation to plantation.



Highlighted Poem:

Rock de Cradle, Joe

(last stanza)

 

Joe went to de pig pen.

Slipped an’ he fell in.

All de gals commence to laugh

An’ Joe commence to grin.

Rock de cradle, rock de cradle,

Rock de cradle, Joe.

Introduction/Activity:

2nd grade: mood

Before reading Rock de Cradle, Joe, ask students if they have ever made up a nonsense song or poem with their friends. Read the story the author includes about the lullaby and then read the poem to students. Ask:  What is the mood the poem portrays?