World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Synopsis: “‘Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.’ —Leonardo da Vinci

Based on this simple statement by Leonardo, 18 poets have written new poems inspired by some of the most popular works in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum. The collection represents a wide range of poets and artists, including acclaimed children’s poets Marilyn Singer, Alma Flor Alda, and Carole Boston Weatherford and popular artists such as Mary Cassatt, Fernando Botero, Winslow Homer, and Utagawa Hiroshige.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review: I really enjoyed this combination of artwork through the ages paired with poetry from award-winning children’s poets. I could see that Lee Bennett Hopkins paid close attention to select artwork from a variety of time periods and styles as well from a diverse group of artists. He also spent time curating a group of poets that is as diverse as the artwork. The poets aren’t only diverse, but their style is diverse as well which makes for an interesting read.

I think this could a really interesting poetry project for kids during a combined English and Art class or as activity that kids could try over the summer. I know that you can search the Louvre museum’s collection online where kids could pick a piece of art and then write their own poetry about the piece. The Metropolitan Museum of Art also has a similar function to search their collection online or you can spend time wandering through a museum in your area on a rainy day and work on a poem together as a family!

Title: World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Edited by: Lee Bennett Hopkins
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Page Number: 48 pgs.