Monumental Verses

by J. Patrick Lewis

Award-winning poet Lewis invites readers to climb aboard for an eye-opening, lyrical journey to some of the world's greatest monuments, including lush photographs. The back matter features a map showing each site's location, historical information on each one, and a brief history of the photographs. Teachers looking to integrate language arts into their social studies lessons will find this book a delight.

Genres: Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

J. Patrick Lewis is the current Children's Poet Laureate. He has written more than seventy children's books, including Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. J. Patrick Lewis lives in Ohio.

Reviews

[Sandy D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the artwork a lot, but the poems didn't thrill me. Still, a neat idea.

[Donna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In celebrating Poem in Your Pocket this week, I came across this book. What a great pairing of poetry and famous monuments around the globe! With photographs from National Geographic, this is a delightful book of verses and photography!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a neat book. Poems about structures. Many of the structures we focus on or use as structure projects are in this book

[Janet Squires]

Fourteen verses from the esteemed J. Patrick Lewis -- need I say more?

This is a wonderful collection that pays homage to some of man's most amazing monuments. Lewis takes readers around the world -- from ancient Stonehenge and the colossal Great Wall of China to the engineering marvel of the Golden Gate Bridge and the inspiring Statue of Liberty. The beauty of the Taj Mahal, the mysteries of Easter Island, and the grandeur of Machu Picchu are all celebrated within the pages along with others.

Traditional rhyming schemes share space with concrete, free verse and acrostic poems as Lewis invites readers to contemplate and appreciate the imagination, skill, and dedication required to create each monument that appears in stunning photographs.

The book includes a map showing the location of each monument and additional information.

What a beautiful way to integrate Language Arts and Social Studies.

[Stephanie Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book of verses that celebrate the many different landmarks and monuments around the world. I especially enjoyed the various uses of poetic elements. Each poem showcases different elements. Although some poems in this collection are not very insightful, I do like the information provided for each monument or landmark. I think this would be a good book to introduce to students in a geography class. Teachers can also pick and choose certain poems from this collection to use in the classroom.

Language and poetic elements are fairly simple and not too challenging. This would be great for early elementary grades.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book featuring beautiful illustrations of many monuments, coupled with various types of poems which often describe the history of the monument, such as the supposed origins of Stonehenge or some of the history of the Eiffel Tower. A lot of fun, I read this book last summer as well, and when I saw it again, I decided to pick it up for another read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great poetry book for the SRP this year, it has poems about major landmarks around the world. The photographs are also pretty awesome.

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry...

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

16 poems in a variety of forms celebrate revered man-made structures like the Eiffel Tower and Mount Rushmore. Includes photos and brief descriptions of each structure in the back.