INTRODUCTION TO POETRY: SCHOOL POETRY: A Funeral in the Bathroom by Kalli Dakos

A Funeral in the Bathroom 

Bibliography:

Dakos, Kalli, and Mark Beech. 2011. A Funeral In The Bathroom. Chicago, Ill.: Albert Whitman & Co.

Review

A Funeral in the Bathroom is a collection of poems written by Kalli Dakos. The collection is knitted together by lighthearted poems about student's and their adventures into the school bathroom. While some of the poems are silly and fun, others can offer some insight in to the reality students deal with inside at school. On each page the reader enjoys a poem, illustration, and on some pages even a riddle. The illustrations are hand drawings that are both comical and diverse. The variety of meaning, rhythm, and sound keep the reader laughing, singing, and thinking throughout the book. Dakos does an exquisite job of threading together silly poems ranging from a "Flushaphoic" to deeper poems about a students internal battle with illness. Dakos makes it a point to bind together poems for all levels of understanding. Not only do the images and poetic elements create a delightful collection, but Dakos takes poetic license when it comes to word position. The layout of the poems and the way Dakos organizes the words in a few poems to help reflect the meaning. 

Spotlight poem

"There Should be a Place Kids Can Go" is the perfect poem to discuss rhythm, rhyme scheme, repetition, and metaphors. In addition, the book covers themes of need for privacy, escape, and independence that so many students (and parents) struggle with in junior high. Analyzing figurative language and making connections would work well with this poem. Most students will identify with the need to have a place where they can be alone. 

There Should be a Place Kids Can Go

There should be a place
kids can go
when life has dealt
another blow.

There should be a shuttle 
to hitch a ride
into the dark
when we need to hide. 

There should be a garden
or a room to pray 
when pets die
and friends move away.

There should be a tree
kids can climb
when life is a poem
that's lost its rhyme.

When life is a poem
that's lost its rhyme,
kids head to the bathroom
all the time. 

Follow-up Activity

In an English class students could create another stanza to the poem that includes the same qualities, such as, rhyme scheme, metaphor and repetition. I would also consider starting out a professional development session with this poem because it reminds teachers that aside from all the work we do kids are little humans that need space and time too.