Perspective Poetry: Windows, Mirrors and Doors

Perspective poetry, also known as persona poetry, is a powerful writing activity that challenges the reader to enter the perspective of a particular character in a mentor text. Persona poems are written in a first-person point of view and include many details and references to the text that provide a vivid snapshot into a character's lived experiences, emotions, and perspective. When writing a persona poem, the poet "assumes the identity of the poem's subject; in our case, book characters" (Frye, Hardin, Bouwman, and Stumb, 2018, p. 48). This means that when a poet creates the persona poem, they are immersing themself and the poem's reader in the lived experiences and perspective of a selected book character.

When writing a persona poem, it is important to think about the character's surroundings, appearance, personality traits, and lived experiences. However, as the name suggests, it is equally as important to consider the perspective of the character and the historical context or place in time. A great source of inspiration for this kind of poetry is Ashley Bryan's book Freedom Over Me. His artfully illustrated book features a collection of eleven persona poems written from the unique perspectives of individuals who were enslaved on a southern plantation in 1828. Something I love about this book is that the flip side of each individual's persona poem is another poem about their personal hopes and dreams alongside a more colorful, vibrant illustration. This further emphasizes the humanity of the individual, and I think it is a

In this case, I had to place myself in Thanh's shoes. As a young boy, he and several family members fled their home in war-torn southern Vietnam in 1976. His father had passed away and he was facing many complicated emotions as he mourned the loss of his home and dad. I was drawn to write about Thanh for many reasons, but I ultimately chose him as my focal character because he grew so much throughout the novel. The most challenging part of this writing process was finding words that were descriptive enough to successfully and respectfully represent Thanh's perspective, which is part of what makes writing these poems such an immersive experience.

Thanh

I am suffocated by war

I live on a boat floating on fatal waters.

I wonder when my feet will touch solid ground again

I hear my father’s final words to me on repeat in my head

I see suffering everywhere my eyes can reach

I want safety from pirates and the fear that pushed me from my country

I am stifled by sadness.

I question if there is a place where I belong

I touch my soggy clothes

I feel like a disappointment to my father

I cry salty tears over his death and mourn the life I have lost

As I worry if I will ever see or find my home again.

I understand how war ruins lives and steals the people I love

I am an orphan.

I say I want to be free and finally get off this boat,

But sometimes I believe that moment may never come.

I dream of Mai and Sang and the way my life used to be

I try to make the best of my situation

I hope to see my family again and claim a place as my home

I was once unsure of myself and always searching to fit in

But now I am the Raftworld’s gifted storyteller and daydreamer

I am reclaiming what the war stole from me.

Poetry template adapted from:

Frye, E. M., Hardin, B. L., Bouwman, H. M., & Stumb, A. E. (2018). Walking Into the Wardrobe and Through the Sliding Glass Door: Writing Persona Poems with A Crack in the Sea. National Council of Teachers of English, 26(2), 46–52.

Why teach persona poetry?

Writing persona poetry

In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop famously stated that books can serve the reader as windows, mirrors, or sliding glass doors, and ever since I read her words, they have dramatically altered the way I view the literature I will hand to a child one day (Frye, Hardin, Bouwman, and Stumb, 2018, p. 46). Whether a book is a window, mirror, or sliding glass door will change from one student to the next, and they each serve a purpose in their own way. The same can be said for persona poetry, which is why I think incorporating this kind of writing is so necessary in the classroom. When a student is able to immerse themself in a text and see from the perspective of another person or character, they are engaging on a much deeper level than simply reading a story. Persona poems serve a huge purpose in literacy development because they allow the reader to dive further into the windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors metaphor by Rudine Sims Bishop. As teachers, we have to encourage students think critically and empathetically when reading any kind of book, but especially novels with historical elements such as A Crack in the Sea. Persona poems are a great way to do that in the classroom. In any mentor text, students can choose a character they resonate with (or a character whose life is completely different than their own) and fully immerse themselves in the perspective of that character through a persona poem. That is such a powerful lesson.

In addition to gaining a new perspective, we can also use persona poems to shed light on historical injustices that have taken place all over the world, such as the plight of boat people like Thahn and his family in A Crack in the Sea or Sumiko in Cynthia Kadohata's Weedflower, detailing a Japanese American family following the Pearl Harbor attacks. When students create persona poems rooted in historical events or time periods, like those by Ashley Bryan in Freedom Over Me, they are viewing history, the good and the bad, from a personal lens. Reading Bryan's poems in Freedom Over Me was a more powerful and enlightening glimpse into the injustices of slavery in United States than any history lesson I have ever had. That is what makes these poems so powerful and purposeful in our classrooms. Persona poems can be written about any character, fictional or not, and serve as an empowering tool that equip students with the perspectives and voices to ignite change.

respectful touch to the collection. A persona poem from the perspective of the plantation owner is also included, which I find helpful in providing context of the estate. In Freedom Over Me, Ashley Bryan's work emphasizes the individuality and humanity of each person and celebrates them as people rather than slaves. The combination of Bryan's words and illustrations are so important, and they were inspirational to me as I began writing my own persona poem!

For my example, I chose to create a persona poem for Thanh from H.M. Bouwman's historical fantasy novel A Crack in the Sea. Before I began writing this poem, I had to consider everything I knew about Thanh. A great way to start is by creating a list or an idea web of character traits, ideas, identities, quotes, and identifying aspects of the chosen character. My idea web is pictured below along with a small cartoon image I created to represent Thanh's two homes, Vietnam and Raftworld.

Excerpt from Freedom Over Me by Ashley Bryan

Citations