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"Fireflies,
music, angels,
birds, wings,
God,
why?
These are just a few
of the words I find
for songs to sing
and rhymes to rhyme
while my mother and I
try to stay alive
waiting for mercy
or death
whichever comes first--
or are they
the same?"
Juan is a slave in Cuba, born in 1797. While still very young, he is taken
from his parents by his owner Dona Beatriz. He will be her pet, almost like
a son, coming to recite pretty verses when she is entertaining company. But
Juan has dreams of his own, songs of his own to sing. His poetry is strange,
haunting and it tells his own sad story, of how he fights for the freedom
that is already his and faces adversity bravely.
Margarita Engle's story is an amazing work of art. Her poetry manages to
capture the beauty and horror of the plantations and the hope and fear of
the slaves in the same breath. It's wonderful to read and I love how she
told the story from different points of view (Juan, his mother, etc.) It
added flavour and colour to the story. Sean Qualls art accents the poems
fabulously. The pictures are odd and confusing, but that perfectly reflects
Juan's world, his confusion and the many different parts of his life.
I really enjoyed reading The Poet Slave, it was wonderful, sad and
happy at the same time. I highly recommend it, not only for poetry lovers,
but for all people who enjoy a good story. It's very easy to read and is
very entertaining. I would recommend it for kids, ages twelve and up. Adults
would most likely enjoy it too, even though it is not a challenging nor a
long read.
I would give The Poet Slave of Cuba four and a half stars out of
five.
RATING:   |
