A Wreath for Emmett Till
Marilyn Nelson’s tremendous achievement in this heroic crown of sonnets is to turn pain beyond words into poetry that minces no words and spares no image of brutality, even as it offers enlightenment. There are no words to soften the reality of what happened to Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American boy from Chicago who was lynched, murdered by whites in Mississippi when he was visiting relatives in 1955. Nelson states that choosing a heroic crown of sonnets to write about Emmett Till’s death was a way of insulating herself from the pain of that event as she focused on the strict needs of the form. But the pain--and horror--pours out out in stark and startling images. In one poem, Nelson writes of the tree from which Emmett was hung. It might speak of the “strange fruit that still ghosts its reverie” were it not “slowly dying, / pierced by the screams of a shortened childhood.” In others, she writes of Mamie Till as a “mother of sorrows” who sent her chubby cheeked boy off on the train with a note for the conductor, and later received a “bloated body” in return. Nelson pierces the hearts of readers, but also engages their minds. Each sonnet is a fascinating puzzle, providing references to discover and allusions to ponder. The voices of Billie Holiday, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman and others echo across the pages, as do other earth-shattering events in history, such as the destruction of the World Trade Center in a volume of poems ripe for discussion and discovery (Nelson provides notes on each poem for those who want a little help). Readers can locate their own truths within and beyond the words. In doing so, they may also find those moments where hope merges with despair. Philippe Lardy’s visual images are a stunning accompaniment to the Nelson’ words. ©2005 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Philippe Lardy
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 14 and older
Age Range:
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Poetry
Subjects:
20th Century
African Americans
Civil Rights
Death and Dying
Grief and Loss
History (Nonfiction)
Perspective/Point of View
Racism
U.S. History
Violence
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin
Publish Year: 2005
Pages: 40
ISBN: 0618397523
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 811 Nelson