We don’t usually speak of poetry and comics in the same breath. We may like and enjoy both, but tend to approach each separately on its own terms. Purists may even consider poetry and comics to be on opposite ends of the literary spectrum (gasp!).

Yet Grant Snider sees things differently. The popular “Incidental Comics” creator was keen on finding a closer connection between poetry and comics, as both “contain condensed language, strong imagery, and ideally leave the reader with a new insight.”

Targeted for middle grade readers, Snider’s fun and inventive collection demonstrates this perfectly with an entirely new way of approaching and appreciating poetry. Did you ever think it would be possible to read a poem in a series of comic panels? Me neither. 🙂

The poems in Poetry Comics (Chronicle Books, 2024) are organized by season, with each section offering insights into the poetry writing process. Title pages inspire and direct:

Spring: “I want to put down on paper the feeling of fresh possibilities.”

Summer: “How deep can a poem go?”

Fall: “I will wait for a poem to fall into my open arms.”

Winter: “A new page — my words huddle close to keep warm.”

Each season then ends with a variation of “How to Write a Poem.”

HOW TO WRITE A POEM #1

Find a quiet place.
A sharp pencil.
A blank page.
Sit still.
Keep quiet.
Wait.
A poem will rush in to fill the space.

Many of the poems are about nature (snails, tadpoles, butterflies, trees), while others examine universal human emotions and observations via kid-centric activities like running through sprinklers, waiting for the school bus, playing basketball, riding on roller coasters, climbing trees, reading good books, picking the perfect pumpkin, playing in the snow. Each poem is a sensorial impression of the here and now.

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