Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
HMH Books for Young Readers (2005), Edition: First Edition, 48 pages
Description
Presents fifteen interlinked sonnets to pay tribute to Emmitt Till, a fourteen-year-old African American boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 for supposedly whistling at a white woman, and whose murderers were acquitted. The brutality of his murder, the open-casket funeral, and the acquittal of the men tried for the crime drew wide media attention. Award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson reminds us of the boy whose fate helped spark the civil rights movement. This martyr's wreath, woven from a little-known but sophisticated form of poetry, challenges us to speak out against modern-day injustices--to speak what we see. Newbery Honor-winning poet Nelson offers an evocative tribute to a 14-year-old boy whose lynching in 1955 helps spark the civil rights movement. Full color.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member edspicer
Over the years I’ve attempted to write several sonnets with varying degrees of success. Generously speaking, I have two sonnets worthy of sharing. Nelson has written a heroic crown of sonnets to tell the story of Emmett Till. Just try writing one of these! Not only does she use a 14-lined iambic
The form is so excruciatingly exact, classical, and formal; it describes, perhaps, the ugliest, sickest, worst, random act of violence in our country’s history. The juxtaposition of exacting form and unspeakable cruelty produces a book that need not apologize to those who (mistakenly) view YA literature as “lit lite.” The illustrations with blood red trees and Janus-like crows that speak of both death and deliverance reinforce the poems’ themes in ways that words cannot.
Far too few students know about Emmett Till. Here is a book brimming with literary quality and a message that is both beautiful and filled with horror. The total package is one that must command the attention of the Printz Committee. Put this book into the hands of every high school advanced placement teacher for both literature and history. Don’t be surprised when this book reaps all sorts of awards. Don’t be surprised to find that you need a box of tissues to read this remarkable collection of sonnets.
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pentameter device (Petrarchan) for each poem, but also each sonnet is linked. The last line of the first sonnet becomes the first line of the next. The 15th sonnet is composed of the first line of the previous 14 sonnets. Additionally, the first letter from each of the lines in the 15th sonnet spells out the phrase, “R.I.P. Emmett L. Till.” The form is so excruciatingly exact, classical, and formal; it describes, perhaps, the ugliest, sickest, worst, random act of violence in our country’s history. The juxtaposition of exacting form and unspeakable cruelty produces a book that need not apologize to those who (mistakenly) view YA literature as “lit lite.” The illustrations with blood red trees and Janus-like crows that speak of both death and deliverance reinforce the poems’ themes in ways that words cannot.
Far too few students know about Emmett Till. Here is a book brimming with literary quality and a message that is both beautiful and filled with horror. The total package is one that must command the attention of the Printz Committee. Put this book into the hands of every high school advanced placement teacher for both literature and history. Don’t be surprised when this book reaps all sorts of awards. Don’t be surprised to find that you need a box of tissues to read this remarkable collection of sonnets.
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LibraryThing member welkinscheek
In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy, was lynched while visiting relatives in Mississippi. This brutal murder contributed to the rise of the Civil Rights movement; it is a tragic and haunting moment in American history. Unlike so many victims of lynching and other hate crimes, the details of
Wreath is a poem consisting of 14 Petrarchan sonnets. Its format is Heroic Crown, meaning it ends with a 15th sonnet made up of the first lines of the previous 14. Before her devotional poem begins, Nelson explains the form to her young readers, as well as her relationship to the story of Emmett Till and why she chose the heroic crown format for her composition. This short introduction provides a formula through which readers can begin to understand and deconstruct the poem, without explaining in detail who Till was and what happened to him. As a result, to those readers who are unfamiliar with Till’s story, the poem conveys with vivid imagery and tearful remembrance a tale that unravels in stages, but does not explicate the circumstances of his life or death. The poem is moving in a different way to readers who know about Till’s terrible murder and are able to fill in the holes of the poem’s narrative, so that their feelings about the event can intermingle with Nelson’s. The poem is effective to both types of audiences, elegantly crafted and enhanced by the wonderful illustrations of Philippe Lardy, whose imagery focuses on many of the symbols that are elemental to the poem. The images and text are laid out symbiotically in this beautiful book, and while the individual sonnets and illustrations can stand alone on their own merits, the reader is compelled to finish the book in one sitting by its progressive and cyclical structure. The poem begins as the author wonders which flowers with their corresponding meanings would best suit a wreath made to memorialize Emmett Till, then begins to ponder how the tree that played a vital and unconscious role in the lynching was effected by this savage murder, and how Till’s mother and the rest of the world was forever changed by this brutal event. In the end, the poem returns to the idea of the wreath, begins to construct a bouquet, and warns against forgetfulness, proscribing that “we stand before the populace,/ orators denouncing the slavery to fear.” Finally, the last sonnet, which is built from the first lines of the previous, is simply a miracle, and delivers a stunning surprise to the reader.
A Wreath for Emmett Till is an excellent choice for readers of about 12 years of age to adult. It is fundamentally a beautiful poem, intense, sad, and energetic, and its provocative illustrations help to concretely conceptualize the poem’s imagery and symbolism. The absence of biographical detail about Till in the poem’s introduction is a conscious and excellent choice. Instead, Nelson presents a prose narrative after the last of the sonnets that succinctly clarifies many questions about his life and death. In addition, Nelson provides a sonnet-by-sonnet break down of the literary allusions and allegorical meanings behind her work, making it easy to understand and appreciate, and supplying a great teaching tool for any student learning about the art of poetry. The book concludes with an Artist’s Note, wherein the illustrator explains her work and how her choices were influenced by the poem. This gorgeous book is crucial to any school or public library collection.
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Emmett Till’s death have never been suppressed. His mother held an open casket funeral attended by thousands of mourners and recorded on film so that the image of Till’s ravaged face has remained a chilling part of American consciousness. In A Wreath for Emmett Till, poet Marylyn Nelson evokes this image, describing in vivid allegorical and literal detail the effects of Till’s murder on his body, on the surrounding environment, and its great lasting impact on this nation. Wreath is a poem consisting of 14 Petrarchan sonnets. Its format is Heroic Crown, meaning it ends with a 15th sonnet made up of the first lines of the previous 14. Before her devotional poem begins, Nelson explains the form to her young readers, as well as her relationship to the story of Emmett Till and why she chose the heroic crown format for her composition. This short introduction provides a formula through which readers can begin to understand and deconstruct the poem, without explaining in detail who Till was and what happened to him. As a result, to those readers who are unfamiliar with Till’s story, the poem conveys with vivid imagery and tearful remembrance a tale that unravels in stages, but does not explicate the circumstances of his life or death. The poem is moving in a different way to readers who know about Till’s terrible murder and are able to fill in the holes of the poem’s narrative, so that their feelings about the event can intermingle with Nelson’s. The poem is effective to both types of audiences, elegantly crafted and enhanced by the wonderful illustrations of Philippe Lardy, whose imagery focuses on many of the symbols that are elemental to the poem. The images and text are laid out symbiotically in this beautiful book, and while the individual sonnets and illustrations can stand alone on their own merits, the reader is compelled to finish the book in one sitting by its progressive and cyclical structure. The poem begins as the author wonders which flowers with their corresponding meanings would best suit a wreath made to memorialize Emmett Till, then begins to ponder how the tree that played a vital and unconscious role in the lynching was effected by this savage murder, and how Till’s mother and the rest of the world was forever changed by this brutal event. In the end, the poem returns to the idea of the wreath, begins to construct a bouquet, and warns against forgetfulness, proscribing that “we stand before the populace,/ orators denouncing the slavery to fear.” Finally, the last sonnet, which is built from the first lines of the previous, is simply a miracle, and delivers a stunning surprise to the reader.
A Wreath for Emmett Till is an excellent choice for readers of about 12 years of age to adult. It is fundamentally a beautiful poem, intense, sad, and energetic, and its provocative illustrations help to concretely conceptualize the poem’s imagery and symbolism. The absence of biographical detail about Till in the poem’s introduction is a conscious and excellent choice. Instead, Nelson presents a prose narrative after the last of the sonnets that succinctly clarifies many questions about his life and death. In addition, Nelson provides a sonnet-by-sonnet break down of the literary allusions and allegorical meanings behind her work, making it easy to understand and appreciate, and supplying a great teaching tool for any student learning about the art of poetry. The book concludes with an Artist’s Note, wherein the illustrator explains her work and how her choices were influenced by the poem. This gorgeous book is crucial to any school or public library collection.
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LibraryThing member jasusc
Ms. Nelson took this atrocious subject matter and for a brief moment lessens the pain long enough for readers to examine the artistry of the structuring of the poem. Just as the words were beautifully orchestrated so are the illustrations. The illustrator, Mr. Philippe Lardy not only echoes the
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horror of that night but he also interjects hope and change. Mr. Lardy uses coloration: red depicting blood suffering; browns and earthy colors for loss and oranges and yellows for hope; and symmetry: twin upright coffins illustrating the World Trade Center and numerous coffins including one with Emmett Till’s face showing various unknown victims. Mr. Lardy says about one image, "Emmett's face is surrounded by wreath or wires, chains, and thorns. This depicts the means of his murder, but is also a biblical reference to Jesus' crown and martyrdom." The illustrator offsets the cruelty of the subject matter with images of hope. Show Less
LibraryThing member jgabica
This book is a biography about Emmett Till by means of poetry. Marilyn does a very good job writing this sonnet about the tragedy in history when Emmett Till was lynched by five white men unjustly. It is a very unique book, and very creative. The voice of the book switches from first person to
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third person, all for the effect, and it pulls on the reader's heartstrings as he/she reads it. Media: Tempera on cardboard Show Less
LibraryThing member iecj
A set of fifteen crown of sonnets meaning that the last line in one sonnet becomes the first line in the next sonnet. These are sonnets written for Emmet Till, the young African American boy who was killed while visiting family in the South. T.he book is intended for late middle to high school
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readers, but may be of interest to adults as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
A Wreath for Emmett Till is an extended poem written as a heroic crown of sonnets, a form that uses 15 sonnets in which the last line of each sonnet (or a slight variation of that line) forms the first line of the next sonnet, except for the final sonnet that is made up of the first line of each of
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the preceding sonnets. Sounds complicated, right? The effect is marvelous though, especially considering that Nelson’s final sonnet is also an acrostic spelling out RIP Emmett Till. Nelson’s subject is dark – the brutal murder of an innocent 14-year-old boy, Emmett Till, in the 1960s South brought about because of racial prejudices. Both Nelson’s and Lardy’s illustrations reflect the tragedy of this event but also point toward hope for a better future. Nelson evokes a number of literary predecessors and historical and modern events in her extended sonnet, which she explains in detail in the back of the book (don’t you wish all poems, especially those for young readers, came with a detailed explanation of the poem’s meaning?). There’s also an accompanying artist’s note explaining the meanings behind the illustrations. The supplementary material also includes a brief history of Emmett Till’s life and tragic death for those unfamiliar with the story and print and Web references for those who want to learn even more. Overall, this is a beautifully executed work on an important subject. Show Less
LibraryThing member lcole1
The author was nine when Emmett Till died and she will never forget how it happened. Emmett Till, was an African-American boy of fourteen and he was dragged out of his home, and lynched by white men for no apparent reason. Marilyn Nelson passionately writes this poem in sonnets in remembrance of
Yes, I would highly recommend this book. It was written to spark passion and emotion and it did just that. Not only would I recommend it to students, but teachers could use it to teach about racism, poetry, and symbolism among other concepts. It was on YALSA's top 10 reads.
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Emmett Till, who died dramatically because of racism and segration.Yes, I would highly recommend this book. It was written to spark passion and emotion and it did just that. Not only would I recommend it to students, but teachers could use it to teach about racism, poetry, and symbolism among other concepts. It was on YALSA's top 10 reads.
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LibraryThing member SprouleT
Marilyn Nelson has won a number of awards and prestige for her poetry, including being named poet laureate for Connecticut. Philippe Lardy also has received a number of awards including an Ozzie Award, Silver Medal. Together they have produced this tribute to the boy Emmett Till.
A Wreath for Emmett
A Wreath for Emmett
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Till is written as a ‘crown of sonnets’, that is a series of interlinked sonnets where the last line of one sonnet becomes the first line of the next, with the fifteenth sonnet being the last lines of all the previous sonnets put together. The style helps both writer and reader to absorb and deal with the very difficult subject matter of race persecution and the lynching of a young black boy in the 1950s American south. The illustrations are simple, mostly abstract affairs, designed to evoke emotion through colour to support the poetry, not to distract or overpower it. Show Less
LibraryThing member MerryMary
An amazing collection of sonnets concerning the infamous episode of 1955, when a fourteen-year-old black boy was lynched in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman. This amazing set of poems builds each on the next, as the last line of one is the first line of the following sonnet. Then, at the
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end, the first lines of all fourteen of the preceding sonnets fit together into a final poem. There is beauty here, and anger, and sorrow, and pain. An astounding wreath. Show Less
LibraryThing member LindseyB12
A Wreath for Emmett Till was a very unique and touching book. Nelson uses a cyclic writing style where the last line of each page becomes the first line of the next. At the end, all of the first lines are written one after another creating a poem of its own. It's awesome! The details of both the
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poems and the writing technique had so much depth, and the pictures were simple, yet meaningful. And at the end, the way the first lines became a poem in and of itself was awesome! I'd imagine it took a lot of effort to make all of those pieces fit together so perfectly. It was well-organized and thought out. And the emotions exude from the text. She truly captures the tone of this time and event, and leads the reader to deeply sympathize with Emmett Till - and all who endure this sort of cruel torture through her choice of words. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nina_N
This author has done a tremendous job in writing these poems. The poems are presented to its reader with a fourteen line sonnet on each page. Behind those pages, the words are written to give off a powerful message. The lines flow from one page to the next. This author has creatively written this
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poem so that the last words in each stanza become the first words for the next. The pictorial images will capture a feel of the poem when read. So beautifully written are the words it will have the reader living in the moment. Inspiring, powerful and heartbreaking is what “A Wreath for Emmett Till” projects. There is no wonder this book has been granted honoree awards. And these are awards such as: Coretta Scott King Award and Michael L. Printz Award. Kudos, to the author! Her words definitely shows how powerful the mighty pen is. Show Less
LibraryThing member Desirichter
This set of sonnets is full of imagery and historical allusion. A poignant text that encourages a new generation readers to mourn and honor Emmett Till. The author/illustrator's notes make this text accessible. As with many book of poetry, I would probably digest this book a section at time, and
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really allow for times of reflection. Audience sensitivity is amust Show Less
LibraryThing member KMClark
Marilyn Nelson’s A Wreath for Emmett Till is a striking example of the power of precise word choice that will move any reader with a heart or a conscious. Nelson, a young child at the time of Till's murdered, was empathetic, along with the rest of the nation when 14 year old Emmett Till was
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murdered by white supremacists in 1955. Nelson's story offers vivid images paired with beautiful allusions as she tells the impact of Till's death through a heroic crown of sonnets. She used the Petrarchan style of rhyme scheme to create what she says is a “sequence of interlinked sonnets in which the last line of one becomes the first line, sometimes slightly altered, of the next.” The concluding fifteenth sonnet was created by collecting the first lines of each of the previous fourteen sonnets. I would recommend this as a great supplementary text in a high school English or history class, as well as for adults. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kbernard
This is a beautiful book of sonnets dedicated to Emmett Till. He had the whole world in front of him, but it was shortly cut off by an inconceivable act of ignorance. The sonnets make connections between the murder of Emmett with more recent issues such as 9/11.
LibraryThing member SuPendleton
This is an amazing book of poetry. Nelson uses a heroic crown of sonnets- 15 interlinked poems with the last poem made up of the first lines of the 14 poems. I can't imagine how many hours it took her to craft this work. All middle and high school students should read this book. As the writer works
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through her own grief and frustration over the senseless death of Emmett Till, the reader is left forever moved. Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
This Printz honor award and Coretta Scott King award winning book is a powerful poem telling the story of Emmett Till.
At times the message punches and then, the author uses flowers as a softer medium to tell the story of young Emmett Till who died at the age of 14 at the hands of bigoted white
A stutterer, Emmett's mother told him to whistle when he was stuttering or nervous. This whistle was perceived as a black man whistling at a white woman.
1955 was a time of severe racial tension. When Emmett's mutilated body was found, his mother insisted there be an open casket so the world could see just what bigotry does!
Lynched, beaten beyond recognition, his swollen body, found in a river, showed a cotton gin fan with barbed wire strung around his neck.
When those who were guilty of Emmett's murder were acquitted, many believe this ushered in the Civil Rights movement.
At times the message punches and then, the author uses flowers as a softer medium to tell the story of young Emmett Till who died at the age of 14 at the hands of bigoted white
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men.A stutterer, Emmett's mother told him to whistle when he was stuttering or nervous. This whistle was perceived as a black man whistling at a white woman.
1955 was a time of severe racial tension. When Emmett's mutilated body was found, his mother insisted there be an open casket so the world could see just what bigotry does!
Lynched, beaten beyond recognition, his swollen body, found in a river, showed a cotton gin fan with barbed wire strung around his neck.
When those who were guilty of Emmett's murder were acquitted, many believe this ushered in the Civil Rights movement.
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LibraryThing member kradish
Unintentional civil rights victim/icon Emmett Till is eulogized in this illustrated crown of sonnets. Full of imagery and references. Do not read the author's note until you get a chance to mull it over yourself.
LibraryThing member jcarroll12
I am fascinated by the poetic structure used in this book, a crown of sonnets. I was familiar with Emmett Till's story through Chris Crowe's Mississippi Trial 1955, a novel on our 10th grade summer reading list. I appreciate Nelson's contribution to this unforgettable individual and account. I
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would love to share this collection with the students who chose to read this book. I think the illustrations and Nelson's powerful word choice add an entirely new understanding of the horrors done to Emmett Till. Show Less
LibraryThing member lbblackwell
This collection of poems is a beautiful remembrance of a life cut short far too soon. Young Emmett Till was brutally murdered by five men. Through her poetry, Marilyn Nelson pays tribute to his memory using the crown of sonnets format - the last line of one poem is the first line of the next.
LibraryThing member Debra_Armbruster
Profound, haunting, and artfully composed, _A Wreath for Emmett Till_ is a must-have for school libraries, History and ELA classrooms! Nelson writes beautifully, but what puts this particular piece over the top is that she includes notes on both the stylistic elements (a heroic crown of sonnets,
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written in Petrarchan rhyme scheme) and on historical and literary allusions in the fifteen sonnets. Enthusiastically recommended for grades 8+. Show Less
LibraryThing member athena.j
The genre of this book is poetry. This book is composed of fourteen sonnets, in which the legacy and issues surrounding the story of Emmett Till are explored. The history behind the lynching, the actual beating, and the injustice is all explored in this book. Emmett's murder that sparked the civil
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rights movement is described in beautiful words. Nelson uses lots of figurative language and flowers as symbols in her sonnets. I would use this book in 5th through middle school classrooms, as the story is quite brutal, and the language used is more complex. Students could really pick apart this book and dig deeper into it. Show Less
LibraryThing member engpunk77
Nelson crafted an amazing work of art here with this melancholy, disturbing sonnet. I appreciate that she included educational supplementary materials; a synopsis of the Emmett Till story, commentary on all literary references to which she alludes, commentary on the poem itself, and insight into
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the writing process. Rich with symbolism, challenging vocabulary, and everything I love about poetry, I hope my more ambitious students will take the time to let Nelson take them where she wants them to go. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
Extraordinary!!!
Subjects
Awards
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Honor — Fiction & Poetry — 2005)
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee — 2008)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2007)
Green Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
Coretta Scott King Award (Honor — 2006)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Recommended — 2008)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — High School — 2007)
Printz Award (Honor — 2006)
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (Honor — 2006)
Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry (Honor Book — 2006)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2006)
CCBC Choices (2006)
Notable Children's Book (2006)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
48 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0618397523 / 9780618397525
UPC
046442397520