Janeczko, Paul B. Requiem:
Poems of the Terezin Ghetto. Somerville, Ma: Candlewick Press. 2011. ISBN: 9780763647278
Poet Paul Janeczko takes a small part of the Holocaust and
gives a haunting glimpse of Jews that were imprisoned in the Terezin Concentration
Camp. This camp was noted as being the place where Jews of artistic talent were sent by Hitler.
While many of the characters found in Janeczko’s poetry in
verse are fictitious, they were in fact researched by the author and are based
on an actual place, time and facts of this horrific time period. The author
weaves for the reader eye opening situations, pain and the feeling of despair.
One short poem depicts the harshness of the situation and how desperate
prisoners felt.
Blue sky
Beyond
Barbed wire.
I wish I were
Sky
The reader can envision what it would be like to stare at
the big blue sky, looking at it through the wire fence and knowing there is no
way out. The world keeps turning but for a prisoner in the camp, time stands
still.
Free verse poems are cataloged in a Table of Contents by a
person’s name, tattooed number or German military rank. Information about the
actual encampment and people are included in a page provided by the author at
the end of the collection. Also included are English translations for a few
foreign words used in the book. Books, websites and multimedia resources are
listed, so if the reader are so inclined, they may do additional research into
the topic. Black and white charcoal drawings used to illustrate the camps life
and its occupants are actual drawings that survived the Holocaust.
After reading this book with a group of students I would
lead them in a research project about actual prisoners that were in the camp
using library and internet resources. Students would select a prisoner and
researchhis/her lives and outcome. I would then ask them to follow the “I Am From”
poem template to write about their prisoner selection.
Poem template can be found at the following link: http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/t/Target_I_am_from%20poem.pdf
To lead this project I would reread and spend time discussing
this poem from the book.
I am Miklos
The younger boys in
L410
call me professor.
Because I know many
words?
Because of my large
glasses?
Because I like to
write
in a small notebook
that I conceal from
the guards
in my shoe?
I am fragile
With fear.
Miklos
talks about his love of writing and the lengths he goes to conceal it. Discuss
with students the importance of writing/journaling to document someone’s
presence. Then, lead in with the poem activity after research.
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