Wicked Poems

Wicked Poems edited by Roger McGough

McGough, R. (2004). Wicked poems. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

ISBN: 0747561958

Plot

The poems in this book share the theme of wickedness. Some are scary like Unstable Mable by Brian Patten: "Her eyes are ablaze, like cinders, like fire, And her dark hair is tangled like razor sharp wire." Some are tragically poignantly like The Stones by Brendan Kelly in which an old woman is mistaken for an imaginary creature used by parents to scare their children into obedience. The children "Stalking the little weary traveller -- Ten, twenty, thirty, forty. Numbers gave them courage..." stone the old woman. Some are merely fun like By the Pricking of My Thumbs by George Szirtes: "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes." All are enjoyable.

Critical Evaluation

This is an excellent collection of wicked poems by poets past and present. The content is varied, but the theme maintained. This would be an excellent book to recommend at Halloween. The subject matter is perfect for tweens.

Readers Annotation

This is the perfect book for those seeking instant gratification in chills and laughs. There are funny poems, scary poems and some poems that are scary and funny. This is the poetry book for those who don't like poetry. There's something for everyone in this entertaining collection.

About the Author

Roger McGough was born in Litherland, England in 1937. He is a well known English performance poet. He began as a lyricist for his rock band competing with The Beatles for attention in Liverpool in the early 60's. He has gone on to publish several books of poetry. He is a Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University. He is a Vice President of The Poetry Society of London.

Genre: Humor, Horror, Poetry

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas: Scary themes.

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: Individual poems could be challenged. But there is no real overt, gratuitous violence or controversial language.

This is a fun and scary book that is a good introduction for tweens to substantial poetry. Exposure to poetry in an entertaining way is important for this age group.