海角大神

鈥淵ou鈥檙e a wonderful ambassador for poetry,鈥� a reporter tells Caroline Kennedy one day earlier this month, as hundreds of people line up outside the Coolidge Corner Theater in Bookline, Mass., waiting to hear Kennedy speak about "Poems to Learn by Heart," the latest collection of poetry for which she has served as editor.

Kennedy鈥檚 eyes grow wide for a moment. Then she graciously accepts the compliment, explaining why she thinks poetry matters, particularly to young readers: 鈥淧oetry broadens your horizons and helps kids distinguish what鈥檚 important information and authentic feeling from a lot of the noise and fragmentary sources of information that they get.鈥�

For Kennedy herself, reading and memorizing poetry began at an early age. 鈥淧oetry was something woven into the holidays and into our family life,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y grandmother used to love having everyone recite 鈥楾he Midnight Ride of Paul Revere鈥� when we came to see her. She had grown up in Concord [Mass.], so it felt very special to say it with her,鈥� recalls Kennedy. 鈥淥nly my Uncle Teddy learned the entire poem.鈥�'

The family also exchanged copies of poems on Christmas and birthdays. 鈥淧oetry is a wonderful thing to share across the generations,鈥� notes Kennedy. 鈥淭he words and the language that you鈥檙e introduced to when you are young really stay with you and hopefully can give you a sense of a much a larger world that you want to explore.鈥�

Kennedy鈥檚 mother, Jacqueline, loved poetry as well, and expected hand-written poems from Caroline and her late brother, John, on special occasions. When the siblings felt competitive, they鈥檇 recite the poems by heart. 鈥淚 learned 鈥楾he Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,鈥� 鈥� she remembers proudly.

Her brother, in contrast, once chose the poem 鈥淐areless Willie,鈥� which includes the line 鈥淲illie with a thirst for gore, nailed his sister to the door.鈥�

Those experiences taught Kennedy that poetry has the unique ability to engage children and help them understand feelings and ideas. 鈥淎s long as you know the world of words, you can鈥檛 be alone,鈥� she says.

Poetry reassures during difficult times, as it did for Kennedy after the death of her mother: 鈥淧oetry says what I鈥檓 thinking better than I do.鈥�

The new collection contains many poems that are reassuring, she says. 鈥淚f you are in the middle of something unpleasant, you can read them and they will settle your mind and your thoughts.

Unfortunately, many people in the United States haven鈥檛 been exposed to poetry, or to the joys of reading, she says. 鈥淲e have a literacy crisis in this country. Fourteen percent of adults can鈥檛 read, and far too many students find it difficult and don鈥檛 enjoy it and feel that school isn鈥檛 really relevant to their lives,鈥� Kennedy explains. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that people will give poetry a second chance because I think it really does give you an entry into so many dimensions of life, and of learning.鈥�

Kennedy鈥檚 belief that poetry empowers was reinforced as she worked with students at DreamYard Prepatory, an arts school in the Bronx. Every couple of weeks for one semester, Kennedy met with four young writers who helped her select work for 鈥淧oems to Learn by Heart,鈥� including some monster and fairy poems. 鈥淭heir eyes and ears expanded the range of poems and provided valuable input,鈥� she says.

Kennedy was so impressed with the students鈥� expressiveness and passion that she chose the poem 鈥淰oices Rising,鈥� written by the school鈥檚 slam team, for the final volume. The piece demonstrates that young people care about current events and issues, she feels, and that 鈥減oetry is a group act, not a solitary act.鈥�

The book also features a number of war poems, because 鈥渋t鈥檚 good to talk about suffering and loss,鈥� says Kennedy. 鈥淲e need to help kids find their voice so they can advocate for change.鈥�

Does Kennedy view her work advocating for poetry as a form of service? 鈥淣othing is more important than how we raise our children,鈥� she says with quiet conviction. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a long-term security and moral issue.鈥�

A love of books was key to her father鈥檚 development, she says. 鈥淢y father became a voracious reader, and that developed his sense of patriotism and the importance of courage.鈥�

As for her mother, when asked how she would feel about 鈥淧oems to Learn by Heart,鈥� Kennedy smiles broadly. 鈥淚 think she鈥檇 be quite happy. I鈥檇 love to have her as an editor.鈥�

Elizabeth Lund regularly reviews poetry for the Monitor and The Washington Post.