Walter Dean Myers's "Here in Harlem poems in many voices"

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Myers, Walter Dean. 2004. Here in Harlem poems in many voices. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-1853-7

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

 In his book, Poet Walter Dean Myers does an eloquent job of giving a voice to the people of Harlem, throughout his fifty-four poems. The poems are skillfully written in verse and are full of voice and characterization, the different voices are representative of people from all walks of life, residents from Harlem, which adds more substance to the book. The poems are accompanied with black and white photographs that help place the reader in the unique setting that is Harlem.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The poems in the book are in a unison font, the photographs are in black and white, aesthetically simple, yet effective. Myers wrote, “I have added photographs to the text because I love the images, not to match the poems. The images and the voices race through my mind in a sustained triumph of place and community.”

The book’s design and format is simplistic, yet poignant, the front cover of the book displays a photograph of Duke Ellington and two of his singers, in 1938 that captures the existential life of Harlem; it shows a glimpse of the beloved Harlem. The poems are written in verse and adequately evoke the spirits of the residents of Harlem. Myers brilliantly captured the life, atmosphere and heart of the illustrious Harlem!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal starred review: “Myers’s skill with characterization and voice are apparent as he models Edgar Lee Masters’s Spoon River Anthology (Sagebrush, 1962) to bring Harlem to life for readers.”

Kirkus starred review: “In this Whitman-esque ode to time and the city, the “crazy quilt patterns” of Harlem are reflected in the voices of the neighborhoods “big time people and its struggling folk…”

5. CONNECTIONS

This book of poems can serve as a historical background piece, and used to celebrate African-American Poets, and displayed proudly in a book-display during Black History Month in the school library.

*Other engaging books written in verse are:

Myers, Walter Dean. Harlem: A Poem. ISBN 978-0590543408

Hughes, Langston. The Dream Keeper and other poems. ISBN 978-0679883470