Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle... and other Modern Verse

Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle... and other Modern Verse
EditorsStephen Dunning, Edward Lueders, Hugh Smith
LanguageEnglish
Published1966 (Scott Foresman)
Publication placeUnited States
Pages160 (first edition)
AwardsLewis Carroll Shelf Award (1968)
ISBN0-673-03363-5
OCLC270432
811.508
LC ClassPS614.D8

Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle... and other Modern Verse is a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award-winning[1] anthology of poetry edited by Stephen Dunning, Edward Lueders and Hugh Smith. Compiled in an effort to present modern poetry in a way that would appeal to the young, Watermelon Pickle was long a standard in high school curricula,[2] and has been described as a classic.[3]

The anthology consists of 114 poems, including ones by Ezra Pound, Edna St. Vincent Millay and e. e. cummings, but also ones by lesser-known poets. It is particularly noted for "espous[ing] no specific morality, no politesse, and no didacticism", as well as for giving a relatively modern presentation with photographs and modern typefaces.[4] This presentation was in stark contrast to the practices of textbook publishers of the 1960s, which seemingly "cramm[ed] as many problems onto a page as possible".[5][6]

In 1969, Watermelon Pickle was described by one commentator as having "become one of the more popular high school literature materials".[7] Another commentator in 1999 called it "[t]he most widely used anthology for young adults ever and still in print".[8] A 2002 article describes Watermelon Pickle as "establish[ing] a long-overdue niche" for young adult poetry.[9]

The book is titled after the last poem, "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend called Felicity" by John Tobias.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ Carbone, Suzanne; McCoy, Elizabeth (1968). "Books for Children and Young People". Wisconsin Library Bulletin. 64 (6): 442. hdl:2027/mdp.39015036850421. Retrieved January 13, 2016 – via HathiTrust. Open access icon
  2. ^ Schwedt, Rachel E.; DeLong, Janice (2002). Young Adult Poetry: A Survey and Theme Guide. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 17–18. ISBN 9780313313363.
  3. ^ Winkeljohann, Rosemary (March 1981). "Queries: How Can I Help Children to Enjoy Poetry?". Language Arts. 58 (3): 355. JSTOR 41961308.
  4. ^ Helbig, Alathea K. (1987). "Dunning, Lueders, and Smith's Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle: A Watershed in Poetry for the Young". In Nodelman, Perry (ed.). Touchstones. Vol. 2. West Lafayette, Indiana: Children's Literature Association. pp. 95–104. ISBN 0-937263-02-8.
  5. ^ Brewbaker, James; Hyland, Dawnelle J., eds. (2002). Poems by Adolescents and Adults: A Thematic Collection for Middle School and High School. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English. pp. 2–3. ISBN 0-8141-3563-3.
  6. ^ Brewbaker, James (2013). "Of Kent State, Old Yeller, and Harlem Summer: Recalling the Beginnings of Young Adult Literature in Academe" (PDF). ALAN Review. 40 (3): 59. doi:10.21061/alan.v40i3.a.17. ISSN 0882-2840. Retrieved January 13, 2016. Open access icon
  7. ^ Blount, Nathan S.; Searles, John R. (November 1969). "Teaching Materials". English Journal. 58 (8): 1268. JSTOR 811561.
  8. ^ Somers, Albert B. (1999). Teaching Poetry in High School. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English. p. 35. ISBN 0-8141-5289-9.
  9. ^ Crowe, Chris (July 2002). "Young Adult Literature: YA Boundary Breakers and Makers". English Journal. 91 (6): 117. doi:10.2307/821837. JSTOR 821837.
  10. ^ Hoffecker, Felicity (April 1983). "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle". English Journal. 72 (4): 18–20. doi:10.2307/817057. JSTOR 817057.
  11. ^ Tobias, John (1961). "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend called Felicity". New Mexico Quarterly. 31 (1): 45. hdl:1928/24135. Open access icon