Nelson, Marilyn, 2001. Carver: A Life in Poems. Asheville, NC: Front Street. ISBN 1886910537
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS narrates the life story of George Washington Carver. Marilyn Nelson's 59 poem collection cycles through the entirety of his life, ranging from 1871 to 1943. The poetic voice in this collection is spectacular. Nelson's use of free verse creates the distinct persona of George Washington Carver. Although the poems are written from multiple perspectives, the summation is complete. I feel like I really know him now. I get who he is--at his core.
This book is for older students. Nelson does not mince on language, to her credit. Carver's life deserves splendid language. He was an intellect and, now that I know him so well, I think he would appreciate these poems.
Because she told his story chronologically, there is a poetic value in comparing the beginning versus the end of his life. Could there be more humble beginnings than those of Carvers?
Out of "Slave's Ransom"
John Bentley, Diamond Grove, Missouri
(excerpts)
Lines 5-9
when Moses Carver comes to me
and begs me to go after
their slave-girl Mary and her son,
well, I never was one
to turn down good money.
Lines 20-21
When I handed him to Missus Carver,
you never seen such carrying-on.
All that over a puny black baby.
These excerpts depict the social value Carver rated as an infant born to a slave girl in 1864. I appreciated the historical footnotes included, which explained that Carver's mother and George were stolen from their owners, who sent John Bentley to recover them. Bentley only found the baby, who became a cherished member of their master's family.
The poems at the end of his life contrast his beginnings. Now, he is feted in newspapers around the world and rubs elbows with the likes of Henry Ford. I love one of the final poems, MINERALOGY.
MINERALOGY
For the staff of the Carver National Monument,
Diamond Grove, Missouri
(excerpt)
(excerpt)
Ford told how he bought a flawless
many-carat stone, had it set
in a masculine ring,
and sent it off
gift-wrapped.
When next in Tuskegee
to visit Carver and throw
some money around,
Ford asked where the ring was.
Carver lovingly set aside
several dusty shoeboxes of specimen
and opened a box labeled MINERALS.
Even when presented with a flawless diamond, Carver stayed true to his scientific inclinations; he classified and sorted it with his other rocks.
Throughout the book, Nelson footnotes her poems and includes photos of Carver. These help immensely as the reader builds a complete picture of George Washington Carver's life in poems.
I would share the two poems above in their entirety, along with projecting photos of Carver for the students to see. I would host a discussion of beginnings and endings, particularly the idea of "Does how you begin life determine how you will end life?" For my students, who primarily live in poverty, this is an important idea to address. I would pull in other examples of individuals who overcame humble beginnings to achieve greatness, like Tim Duncan and Oprah Winfrey. Because we are located only a few miles north of the AT&T Center in San Antonio, my students would strongly connect with the Tim Duncan reference.
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