dear mr kilmer

THEMES

The challages of growing up

-Hannah faces the challenges of coming from a migrantGerman family,new to Iowa country though not new to the country.Thus she has to endure the pain of ostracism and rejection by majority of fearful,unreasonable classmates and country people.

Humanity and friendship give us hope

-Being kind to others when they are facing difficulty reveals the basic goodness of man,and underlines our humanity

Love,understaning and

family relationships

-The Schemer family ,in contrast is a more balanced and happy one.There is joy,laughter,communication,muic,singing,book and literature in their home.

Where there is prejudice,there is no lesson

-Richard is unlike many irrational and biased people in his community.He is logical,sensitive and perceptive.He continues befrending Hannah and her family despite his family's comments.

Moral Value

Courage and resilience

Hannah urns down the role of Lady Liberty,which she wanted very much,even though she won it fairly

Truth,integrity and honour

Richard tell his father the truth-that he purposedy misfired,as he cannot bear killing the beautiful buck

Compassion and understanding

Joyce Kilmer understanding Richard's challenges and gives him a lot of encouragement and support

Lesson Learnt

1.we must have the courage to speak out and act according to our priciples and beliefs

2.Truth,integrity and homour are important values to have as they ensure that other good qualities are also present

PLOT

3.We must try understand other people and be compassionate

character and chararteristics

Richard knight

Joyce Kilmer

Richard is standing at Schermer's doorway, too stunned to cry. With great compassion, the family brings him inside.

-kind, suppkiortive

ex: asks Richard to share his poems with him and others

-outspoken, courageous

ex: stand up against the class bullies and wins the fight

Despite his panic at the thought of having his poem published in the Turtle Lake Weekly, Richard agrees to the idea. Hannah immidiately accompanies him to the newspaper office. However, he flees ad Mr Garrison begins to read his poem. He fear Pa's reaction if his poem is printed.

-hardworking helpful

ex: work hard at his studies

Mr Schermer gently shows him the headline "Beloved American Poet Killed in Battle" in the newspaper. Richard gazes at the smiling face for the first time after his death. The article recounts the circumstances of Kilmer's death and how his comrades bury him in france.

Pa

Hannah Schermer

When Tuesday arrives, Richar buys a copy of the newspaper and to his horror, sees his poem printed in the middle of page 3. As Pa gets his newspaper from his mailbox, Richard rushes to hide in his room.

SETTING

-understanding

ex:insists on privacy when he speaks to Richard

-generous, gentle

ex:bakes cookies for Kilmer, which Richard sends to France

PLACE

-Hannah's home (schemers')-safe haven for Richard where he can share his poetry,benefit from the more cultured German family and build a closer relationship with Hannah

Richard is too shocked to cry and realises that the unposted letter to Kilmer's is still in his pocket. Reality strikes and the tears begin to well up, He thanks the Schermers and runs to his favourite oak tree where he cries freely.

Surprisingly, Pa calmly walks in and sits at the edge of Guy's bed. After a long silence, Pa begins to share about Uncle Rolamd who, like Gus, was a little reckless, and thought he was invincible. Sadly, Uncle Roland was the only war casualty in the Battle of El Garney on July 1 which America won. Pa breaks down and Richard reaches out to comfort him. "A world is gone! A world is dead and gone!" Pa had whispered to himself as Roland's body was lowered into the grave. "How didi you know those words?" ask Pa in a breaking a breaking voice. Richard remains silent because both of them finally understand why he writes poems.

He is filled witrh hopelessness as he ponders the unanswered question on what poets and poetry can do to make the world a better place. He realises that poets are unable to stop war.

When he returns home he composes a poem In Memory of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer. It has four verses expressing sadness over the loss of a world of rhyme and song he had treasure.

The war in mid-November with an Allied victory . As winter approaches, Richard works at the farm and at school. He spends time with Hannah and her family and continues to write poems.

Richard visits the schermers the next day and shares this poem with them. They are all touched by his beautiful poetic piece. Mr Schermer insists that more people should read the poem as so many families in Turtle Lake have lost their loved ones. Richard 's poem woyuld mean a lot to local residents, espicially because it is 'coming from one of their own.

Soon his poems are regularly featured in the local weekly. Richard's father is now his consultant as his poems deal with farm life and Pa is an expert, Richard happy that Pa's ideas and suggestions are as helpful as Joyce Kilmer's had been.

dear mr kilmer

• chapter 10