English 112B: Young Adult Literature
Professor Mary Warner
May 5, 2005
Israeli people in this small place on Earth that has fostered so much conflict. Religion has served to exacerbate differences and justify cruelty. The Middle East crisis seems interminable,
everlasting, and unsolvable. The hatred among people seems to feed on itself. Generations of one people hold hate against another due to injustice and terrible acts committed against their people.
Perhaps if any healing can take place, it will be among young people who should not grow up to be suicide bombers and army members but builders of a better world. Poetry, drama, and comedy can begin to bridge the gaps among people, though we are far from approaching resolution of the conflict. If we can share with young adults an appreciation for the cultures and arts of neighboring people, perhaps we can imbue a respect for those people and their values.
Inspiration for this thought comes from the many people who struggle to put an end to the conflict that consumes so much of the time and energy of wonderful people on both sides of the battle. My younger son John, at Dartmouth College, thinks of being a diplomat and learns Arabic. My nephew forms a group of Arabs and Jews at Yale and tries to bridge the gap by sharing cultures, holidays, and conversations with people from both sides of the fence.
Why study poetry? According to Samuel Totten in "Incorporating Poetry into a Study of the Holocaust," "The most finely wrought poetry has the power to penetrate as deeply into the mysteries of being and the multifaceted aspects of life as anything language has to offer" (Danks, 235). Here are some of the many resources available to teachers and students:
Abdulhamid, Ammar. 4 May 2005 http://www.amarji.org
This website for Ammar Abdulhamid has some of his works published free for the public on it. This Syrian author will add another viewpoint on the culture and artistic world of the Middle East. He is a bit shocking and controversial in the topics he chooses.
Amichai, Yehuda. Even a Fist was Once an Open Palm with Fingers: Recent Poems by Yehuda Amichai. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991 (selected and translated by Barbara and Benjamin Harshav).
This book reflects on life - and death - seen through the eyes and ears and other senses of an expressive poet. He talks about the death of his mother, about being Jewish and about war. He paints a picture of life in Israel. He talks about observing the day of repentance (Yom Kippur) without his mother or father to share it. One of the briefest but intriguing poems is called "A Man's Soul.". Here it is:
A man's soul is like
a train schedule
a precise and detailed schedule
of
trains that will never run again. (Amichai, Even a Fist, 73)
Amichai, Yehuda. Yehuda Amichai: A Life of Poetry 1948-1994. Trans. Benjamin and Barbara Harshav. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995. ISBN# 0-06-019039-6
The great part about this book is that it shows the progression of his thinking over his lifetime. Though not in perfect chronological order, the sections are denotated with the dates in which he wrote the pieces. This can be used to reflect the times, the politics, and the issues of the times. Also, it shows the stage of life he was in. The book includes his Even a Fist Once was an Open Palm and Fingers work as well as many much earlier pieces. In addition to reflecting his Jewish association, the poems have personal and political meaning. One poem that stood out in terms of political perspective was "Jerusalem 1967" (79-88), as it helps the young person to see how Jerusalem is perceived by those who lived before.
Amichai has been mentioned by every person asked as a primary poet from the Jewish perspective. It would be worth using him as the focus for a study of the Israeli perspective on the Middle East issues and culture.
Bargad, Warren and Stanley F. Chyet. Israeli Poetry: A Contemporary Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1988.
Contemporary, this is written in 1988 which is old by young people's standards. These poems are somewhat timeless and yet show history from the minds of the people. Again, this would be a great way to add literature to history, as it reflects contemporary thinking during that time period.
Danks, Carol and Leatrice B. Rabinsky, Editors. Teaching for a Tolerant World, Grades 9-12: Essays and Resources. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1999.
A couple of chapters in this book relate to the topic of conflict and Arab-Israeli conflict, though neither pertains exactly to that specific issue. "Teaching Conflict-Resolution Strategies through Multiethnic Literature" (102). That chapter does not focus on poetry, but it talks about using literature to increase student awareness and learn conflict resolution strategies through multiethnic literature. As identified by the authors, this is "a modest attempt to combat intolerance and discrimination" (109). Another chapter does focus on poetry, but on poetry of the Holocaust. "Incorporating Poetry into a Study of the Holocaust" could be used as a reference for planning a teaching unit on poetry for the Middle East. This chapter powerfully presents the argument for using poetry in the classroom to teach history and describes how poetry expresses the most heartfelt emotions of people. The entire chapter is replete with information pertinent to and justifying the study of poetry. The closing quote summarizes the thrust of the rationale: "While solely studying Holocaust poetry is an inadequate method to gain a clear and thorough understanding of the Holocaust's overall impact, by combining a study of poetry with the study of primary and secondary documents, films, discussion, and listening to guest speakers (e.g., survivors, liberators, historians, and others), students are able to glean unique insights into a period of history that continues to (and probably always will) baffle the human mind and spirit (255)."
Darwish, Mahmoud. Selected Poems. Cheshire, Great Britain: Carcanet Press Limited, 1973.
Written in Darwish's early years, these poems show his anger at the conflict and loss of life and property of his people. They will ring true to the gut feelings of many people in Palestine who have been uprooted by the changes in the Middle East. For example, "Identity Card" (pp 24-25) says in effect, "I am what I am, Arab." It includes the line, "However if I am hungry I will eat the flesh of my usurper."
Glazer, Myra, ed. Contemporary Israeli Women Poets: Burning Air and a Clear Mind. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1981.
Israeli women poets are published in this compilation, and it is about their perceptions of life and life experiences. They truly are poems about life around them, love, people. The poems in this book might not appeal to a wide range of high school youth. One that struck me is "Heavenly Jerusalem, Jerusalem of the Earth," (9) which could provoke some conversation of the meaning of Jerusalem to the people.
Harrison, Michael and Christopher Sutart-Clark. Peace and War: A Collection of Poems. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969.
Poems are from all over the world on the topic of war and peace. Authors are not identified by nationality anywhere in the book, contributing to its universality but also to some ambiguity. The poetry brings up what war looks, feels, and smells like, and what it means to be at war. Conversations such as "I am the man who looked for peace and found My own eyes barbed" (94) stir up the mind and turn the soul. Another phrase hits home, "...we who lived by honest dreams Defend the bad against the worse" (94). Clips such as these make the book worth perusing, especially for its relevance to a study of history and tying it in with literature.
Hull, Robert. Breaking Free: An Anthology of Human Rights Poetry. New York: Thomson Learning, 1994.
Nationalities of these poets are identified, so the nature of their thoughts is more easily identified than other collections. Also, the print is larger, the poems shorter, very succinct for the most part. None come from Israel, but two are from Palestine. Here is a brief excerpt from that author:
I shall create out of the darkness of my jail my dawn
Out of the jaws of hatred my destiny...
I shall sing in spite of fences in spite of jailers in spite of hatred. (39)
IFLAC: The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace.
This organization under the leadership of Ada Aharoni has a variety of cultural approaches to promoting peace among nations. It is well worth looking at the site.
Lewis, Bernard. Music of Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001.
This book encompasses a multiplicity of cultures. A Professor of Near Eastern Studies Emeritus at Princeton University, Lewis compiled classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew poems in one small volume. It would work well to demonstrate the commonalities among people in this region, as many poems are parallel in their topics - love, religion, nature, temptation. These are classical poems, and only some would be comfortable for the young teen, as the topic of love and lust pervade them. Although from the title, it would appear to be a perfect mix of culture and poetry, the content of most are remote for the teen to grasp. This would need to be accompanied by a more contemporary collection to bring it current and relevant.
MidEast Web.4 May 2005 http://www.mideastweb.org/poetry.htm
This MidEast Web has a link to Poetry of Peace. It includes a wide range of selections and links to other pages. Several Middle East nations are represented in this group of selections. It is well worth a look. Students may find electronic sources more current and more approachable.
Murray, Joan, ed. Poems to Live By in Uncertain Times. Boston: Beacon Press, 2001.
This collection of poems, inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, includes selections from a wide range of authors. They celebrate life and they mourn the loss of life. Murray's contribution, inspired directly by the 9/11 event, applauds the common person whose life doesn't make the front pages. These poems would be great for teenagers because they talk about feelings, are simple enough to be clear but are complex enough to deal with the mature but confusing feelings adolescents experience. They promote understanding by talking about the part of life we share cross-culturally - love, appreciation, family, loss, grief, beauty. Although national identities in this collection of poems are not identified, the translated poems about Arabic topics seem to have originated from there.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East. United States: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2002.
The front page of this book sets the tone with a quote:
If you look at the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religions, their first commandments are the same: "Thou shalt not kill." It's not taken seriously.
This book has poems that are not traditional poetry but more poetic form stories. She tells about episodes and experiences in her life without rhyme but with rhythm. She talks of life and politics and suffering and despair and death and family. She reflects on hospitality and culture and family life. Her words paint of picture of the culture from which she comes. She discusses treating strangers, family reunions, hate and anger, death and terrorism....but she does so in human rather than political perspective. She talks about the people and their experiences and feelings. This is not poetry in the classical sense but poetic in its presentation.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East. New York: Simon & Schuester Books for Young Readers, 1998.
If I had to choose one book for the Middle East poetry collection, this would be it. This collection combines art, literature, and culture all in one neat bundle. Naomi Shihab Nye has gathered and organized these facets of intelligence, provided an index in the back with information about the authors, and left the reader to enjoy and relish the richness of the creative minds of the Middle East. I can imagine reading one at the beginning of the lesson and asking children to guess the nationality of the author and give a reason why. This information is given in the back but not as part of the text. What a way to enrich history and provoke thought. One phrase I enjoyed was by an Iraqi poet "when the air erupts between mountains we always describe the wind and forget the rocks" (32). How true. This book appeals to the verbal and visual learner. One poem a day would be just perfect for these rich but flavor filled pieces. They don't really discuss issues, but they reveal culture and values, demanding respect and admiration.
Orfalea, Gregory and Sharif Elmusa, eds. Grape Leaves: A Century of Arab American Poetry. Salt Lake City:University of Utah Press, 1988.
These are older in that they go back to the earlier part of the 20th Century. However, they do share the thoughts and feelings and reactions of the authors, timeless in that regard. The book gives an overview of each author and a bit of history of that person. This helps to explain their writings and what drives their thoughts and expressions. Strangely, one poem refers to "sand nigger" which apparently is a derogatory term used towards Arabs. (p. 243-45) Naomi Shihab Nye has a few poems included along with a one page bio on her. Again, just reading a little history on the authors and authoresses helps to better understand the lives of Arab-Americans.
Penueli, S. Y. and A. Ukhmani. Anthology of Modern Hebrew Poetry. Jerusalem: Israel Universities Press, 1966.
This book as not the latest poetry, but it is all from the 20th century. Most of the ideas are timeless, anyway, and the language is accessible. This book includes clusters of poetry for a number of poets. Sixteen poets are represented, each with a few but less than 20 pieces. This gives the reader a chance to select and compare different poets with each other as well as poems by the same author with each other and learn more about the art of poetry as well as the issues at hand.
Another reason some of the poetry from earlier periods is useful in understanding the history and culture is that it conveys the thoughts and feeling that predate the formation of Israel as a country and also the early years of its existence. The only problem, though, is that they don't give dates for each poem, just what years the author lived. That would make it more meaningful for me, to see the context that produced the poem.
As our text emphasizes, poetry is best enjoyed in small doses. A whole unit on poetry tends to overload young people and turn them off. However, as an enriching way of experiencing and understanding the culture and thinking of a people, poetry and the arts supplement a dry historical lesson. Also, when combined with the arts, poetry can appeal to the right brained student who may not find history or politics appealing.
I was surprised to learn that my idea is not in the least bit original. In fact, there are several websites I found that already had this idea!
WORKS CITED
Abdulhamid, Ammar. The Website of Syrian Author Ammar Abdulhamid. 4 May 2005 www.amarji.org/Poetic.
Amichai, Yehuda. Even a Fist was Once an Open Palm with Fingers: Recent Poems by Yehuda Amichai. Trans. Barbara & Benjamin Harshav. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.
Amichai, Yehuda. Yehuda Amichai: A Life of Poetry 1948-1994. Trans. Benjamin and Barbara Harshav. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995. ISBN# 0-06-019039-6.
Bargad, Warren and Stanley F. Chyet. Israeli Poetry: A Contemporary Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1988.
Danks, Carol and Leatrice B. Rabinsky, Editors. Teaching for a Tolerant World, Grades 9-12 Essays and Resources. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1999.
Darwish, Mahmoud. Selected Poems. Cheshire, Great Britain: Carcanet Press Limited, 1973.
Glazer, Myra, ed. Contemporary Israeli Women Poets Burning Air and a Clear Mind. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1981.
Harrison, Michael and Christopher Sutart-Clark. Peace and War: A Collection of Poems. Oxford University Press, 1969.
Hull, Robert. Breaking Free: An Anthology of Human Rights Poetry. New York: Thomson Learning, 1994.
IFLAC: The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace. 4 May 2005. www.iflac.com.
Lewis, Bernard. Music of Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001.
MidEast Web.4 May 2005 http://www.mideastweb.org/poetry.htm
Murray, Joan, ed. Poems to Live By in Uncertain Times. Boston: Beacon Press, 2001.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East. United States, HarperCollinsPublishers, 2002.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East. New York: Simon & Schuester Books for Young Readers, 1998.
Orfalea, Gregory and Sharif Elmusa, eds. Grape Leaves: A Century of Arab American Poetry. Salt Lake City:University of Utah Press, 1988.
Penueli, S. Y. and A. Ukhmani. Anthology of Modern Hebrew Poetry. Jerusalem: Israel Universities Press, 1966.