Poetry: Echo Echo

Echo Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths

By Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by Josée Masse

Singer, Marilyn, and Masse Josée. Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2016. 9780803739925

Plot Summary

Just as there are two sides to every story, there can be two sides to every poem. Classic myths have been given a new life in this book of fourteen reverso poems. One side of the story is told when reading the poem from top to bottom. The second side is told when reading the poem from bottom to top. From Arachne and Athena to Eurydice and Orpheus, gods and heroes alike can tell their stories in a new lyrical way.

Analysis

Marilyn Singer cleverly explores Greek mythology using a poetry style that she invented herself, called reverso poems. Each poem carries a different meaning that is based on whether it is read from top to bottom or vice versa. This poetry style helps readers to really dig into each poem as they read it from varying perspectives. For example, in the poem King Midas and His Daughter, the first poem is from his daughter's perspective and shows her begging for her father's attention. When read in reverse, the poem shows King Midas lamenting his mistake of touching his daughter and turning her to gold. Singer uses rhythm, sound, and emotional impact to give each poem vibrancy. By changing the punctuation and capitalization of her poems, she changes the feeling and sound of the words. Some poems sound sad or angry at first, but when read in reverse they sound happy or curious. This is a reflection of the Greek myths themselves, which contain stories of gods and mortals being fickle. Most readers are familiar with the topic of this collection of poems, especially with the rise in popularity of Greek mythology thanks to authors like Rick Riordan. These poems will feel familiar and yet very new because of Singer's reverso poetry style. At the bottom of each poem, Singer has included a sentence or two that explains the Greek myth that is portrayed.

Josée Masse has perfectly illustrated the emotions of each poem while emulating Singer's reverso style. Each illustration shows both sides of the story in a split image that functions as a mirror. Both sides of each illustration come together to reveal the story in its entirety. Masse used soft shades of blue and gold throughout this book and each illustration is reminiscent of ancient frescoes. There are so many details from each poem that readers will have plenty to study as they explore each page. This book of poems is impressive by itself, but it does not compare to the emotional impact that it brings when it includes the illustrations.

Excerpt

DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE

I feel such

despair.

No more

flowers blooming, trees in leaf.

There will be

six months of grief

after

so much joy and laughter.

So much joy and laughter

after

six months of grief.

There will be

flowers blooming, trees in leaf.

No more

despair.

Connections

After reading this poem, give each child a set of refrigerator magnets and instruct them to compose a poem. After they finish their poem, use the magnets to flip the poem from top to bottom and see if a second poem can be created. Using the magnets will make it easier for the children to visualize how to create their own reverso poems. Another exercise that can be a good way to explore the mirror effect of the reverso poems is to have each child chose a poem to illustrate as Josée Masse illustrated it. This will be a challenging but rewarding exercise in perspective.

Reviews

One reviewer for the School Library Journal wrote, "A brilliant practitioner of the eponymous poetic form conveys both the drama and pathos of myths that have entertained throughout the ages, while establishing that there are two sides to every story. Full-page artwork, bathed in dazzling blue and gold tones, sets the stage for these timeless tales of gods and mortals told with a poignant and commanding lyricism."

Dar, Mahnaz, Shelley Diaz, Della Farrell, Daryl Grabarek, Kiera Parrott, Luann Toth, Kent Turner, and Tyler Hixson. 2016. “Echo Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths.” School Library Journal 62 (12): 40. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=120749680&site=ehost-live.

one reviewer for Kirkus Reviews stated, "The complicated fates of the dozen mythic figures portrayed here, among them Arachne, Midas, Demeter, and Persephone, lend themselves particularly well to this reflective form, and Masse's gorgeous acrylics, richly stylized in blues and gold, effectively capture the dualistic nature of the reverso form."

“ECHO ECHO Reverso Poems About the Greek Myths.” 2015. Kirkus Reviews 83 (22): 118. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=110915223&site=ehost-live.