LS 5663 Module 5: Joyce Sidman Poetry

The World According to Dog

Sidman, Joyce, and Doug Mindell. 2003. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DOG: POEMS AND TEEN VOICES. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-618-17497-4.

Review:

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DOG is a collection of poems about man's best friend. From free verse to haiku to a poem for two voices, Joyce Sidman shows readers the world from the eyes of dogs.

Interspersed with Sidman's poems are essays from teens telling stories of the dogs in their lives. Each essay corresponds with a poem, is titled, and features the teen author's name and age. Sidman's poetry and the essays come together to pay homage to the powerful impact dogs have on our lives and the unbreakable bond between people and their beloved dogs.

Accompanying the poems and essays are striking photographs by Doug Mindell. Often in soft focus with blurred edges, these photos are the perfect match for Sidman's book. 

In an unexpected bonus, Joyce Sidman ended her book with a fun dictionary of sorts for dog-related idioms. 




Highlighted Poem:


(To be used in conjunction with the essay "Rusty the Squirrel Exterminator" by Karen Ann Stahlheber, age 15; page 20-21.)


Dog and Squirrel: Steps in a Flirtation


The bushy flick of your tail
catches my attention.
             I am aware of your presence,
             but I am ignoring you.


You are now my bull's-eye.
This will be a fine game.
            It may be a game,
            but I set the rules.

Whenever you lower your guard,
I step forward.
            I never lower my guard.
            All escape routes are intact.

My body is an arrow
pointing at your heart.
            O large clumsy one,
            have you any idea how fast I can run?


I draw closer.
The space between us is nothing.
            Odd how the sunlight
            kindles your dark fur.


I can taste the silk of your tail.
You can't possibly get away now.
            I know the precise point at which
            I must flee. Still, those eyes...


Gaze locked, I pounce!
And you are...
            Gone, of course.
            My heart pounds! See you tomorrow?



Possible Uses:

Teachers could have students write their own poems from two different perspectives, such as a cat and a mouse, a lion and a gazelle, or a shark and a seal. This would be a great way to introduce predator/ prey relationships in science classes or perspective in an English class.