Customer Reviews

A Crow Doesn't Need A Shadow: A Guide to Writing Poetry from Nature

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"Being lazy in the meadow.
it is like placing my head
on a pillow of wind, rivers,
and dreams." ~Ben Burns, Age 8

Writing poetry can be an intensely personal and satisfying experience and while many poets draw on an inner well of experience, this book addresses the poems we write that are inspired by nature. Lorraine Ferra has divided this book up into wonderful chapters that are easy to read and are beautifully illustrated by Diane Boardman.

The chapters include:

Poetry Field Trips
Building a Nature Wordscape
Keeping a nature Journal
Wandering, Noticing, and Writing
Finding a Companion in Nature
Creating a Landscape
Becoming Your Surroundings
Colors in the Natural World
Dreaming Up a Place
Nature in Your Hand
Rhythms in the World and in Words
Growing a Poem Naturally

The chapter on Dreaming up a Place sounded familiar to me since I'm always wishing to revisit places I've been or imagining new ones I'd love to visit if they existed. Lorraine Ferra then asks questions about a sample poem to encourage an understanding and then gives suggestions for writing a poem about your own imaginary world.

"Find a favorite spot outside and sit quietly for a while. A tree would be good to dream in, or you could lie on our back and wonder about the cloud shapes and colors drifting high above you. Wherever you choose to be, allow what is actually there- sounds, smells, tastes, textures, sights - to carry you to an imaginary place." ~ pg. 88

Poems that appear in this book include titles like: In a Snowy Field, Walking in Winter, Thunder, Dandelion, Storm, Shadows, Bees, Inside the Woods, Autumn and A Story in the Snow. What makes these poems so interesting is that they are written by children and you can see the world through a different perspective.

NIGHT

Night swallows the sunlight
and devours the day
It lingers across the plains
cradling the moon and stars
in its hands.

~Richie Browder, Age 8

Lately I realized you could be as inspired by a DVD from Australia as being outdoors in Australia. When reading this book you may want to also expand your world knowledge by viewing nature footage from a variety of countries. I found that this book and watching shows about nature and foreign landscapes enhanced the experience.

A Crow Doesn't Need a Shadow is perfect for teachers or for parents to give to their children. Even adults will enjoy seeing the world in a new way as you integrate the inner and outer landscapes to create magical thoughts.

~The Rebecca Review

I bought this small book years ago, in the bookstore of a museum. I was impressed with it and bought copies for my children - and my old parents. It's one of those perfect books, transcending it's own aims. It can help anyone - not just children - see more and write better. And for kids, it's an inspiration and a lot of fun. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

I am retired school teacher, a writer of poetry and a person who loves nature. This book looked interesting and I was not disappointed. I loved the idea of writing poetry in shapes of nature. It inspired me to write one about icicles in the shape of an icicle,and others in the shapes of storm clouds, sunflower, and a tornado. I am not a kid but I had fun with it.

Well, darn. This book reads like a supplemental text for a poetry-writing unit. It will help a child fulfill a classroom requirement, but that's about it. You've got a kid writing poetry, but not reading it to anyone else -- there's no sense of audience at all. It's merely poetry as self-expression, rather than poetry as communication with another person. The child poetry used as examples is all free verse and isn't something you'd want to read for itself. And there's no mention that a body of poetry exists and might be worth reading for inspiration or even the pure joy of masters at work. In this book, there are only children doing assignments. The little line drawings are sweet though, and more interaction between words and pictures would have been helpful. Unfortunately, this book didn't make me want to write poetry, read poetry, OR go out into nature.