Social Studies Poetry: The Watch That Ends The Night

The Watch That Ends The Night: Voices From the Titanic
By Allan Wolf

Wolf, Allan. The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2012. 9780763637033

Plot Summary

Twenty-four voices come together to tell their stories of their time on the wonderous Titanic. The immigrant, shipbuilder, millionaire, navigator, gambler, spark, socialite, bagpiper, lookout, dragon hunter, stoker, tailor, tailor's son, second violin, businessman, baker, junior officer, entrée cook, refugee, captain, undertaker, postman, Carpathia's wireless man, the ship rat, and the iceberg give their first hand account of that fateful journey. Some are journeying to freedom, opportunity, a new life, or are searching for a promising future. All throughout this book, the undertaker's voice can be heard, foreshadowing the tragedy that is destined to occur. The story begins on April 1st as the ship prepares to sail and the passengers begin boarding. Setting out on April 10th, the Titanic traveled to one last port in Queenstown, Ireland on April 11th before sailing out to open sea on April 12th. The passengers and crew enjoyed several days of traveling before disaster struck on the night of April 14th, when the Titanic met its match in the form of the iceberg. 

Analysis

Allan Wolf has carefully sifted through the stories of over two thousand passengers to expertly craft this novel-in-verse; a story that is well-known but still highly intriguing to millions around the globe. Everyone knows about the tragedy of the Titanic, yet Wolf was able to write a book of poems that brought fresh and new perspectives. Readers will find themselves connecting with each of the twenty-four voices despite knowing that some will not have a happy ending. Its heartbreaking to read, knowing how the story ends and yet readers will feel compelled to continue reading. Wolf titled each poem with the name and title of each character to avoid any confusion. Choosing to write each poem in first-person (or rat-person and iceberg-person), gives this book a greater emotional impact.

Wolf gives each character in this novel their own unique voice, and reflects this in the style of poetry that he uses. For example, the ship rat's poems are in the concrete style and give readers the feeling of sneaking around like a rat might do. The language reflects the class of character as well. Frederick Fleet, a lookout on the ship, speaks speaks as a sailor would saying, “You might say the crow’s nest / is me own special room. Ha. / Although there’s no place t’ sit” while the well-spoken millionaire John Jacob Astor says, “We wished to linger longer in the Valley of the Kings, / but it just wasn't meant to be. A private matter had come up.” Wolf changed his tone to make each character feel more authentic and true to their nature.

Because some of this novel is based in fact, Wolf has included an extensive Notes section that includes a note from the author himself, notes on each of the characters, Morse code messages with a translation, notes about the RMS Titanic, and a lengthy bibliography of each of the sources that he used. The notes are just as interesting to read as the novel itself and readers will enjoy finding out more about the characters, the ship, and trying their hand at decoding Harold Bride's Morse code messages.

Excerpt

Watch how the water licks Titanic's hull.

Hear how the water makes her rivets creak.

See how, before her trip even begins,

the water is obsessed with getting in.

Connections

There are many resources and videos on the internet about the Titanic, including a video that shows the sinking in real time and many recordings of the wreckage after her discovery. After finishing this novel, it would be interesting to explore the wreckage footage as a group. If the audience is older, it may be appropriate to view James Cameron's 1994 Titanic.

Reviews

Melinda Adams from the Library Media Connection wrote "This is a well-detailed and historically accurate portrayal of the events and brings the feelings and emotions of the characters alive . . . This book will make a wonderful addition to any library, as well as the high school English Language Arts or History curriculum."

Adams, Melinda A.1. 2012. “The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic.” Library Media Connection 30 (5): 74. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=73798547&site=ehost-live.

John Peters wrote for the School Library Journal saying, "Wolf gives another watershed historical event a fictional, strongly internalized, obsessively researched treatment . . . Rounded off with more than 30 pages of published references, summary biographies, and factual material condensed from the "sea of information" compiled about the disaster's course and victims, this doorstopper will likely overwhelm younger audiences, but will be meat and drink to "Titaniacs" (as the author dubs them) of the more rabid sort."

Peters, John. 2011. “The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic.” School Library Journal 57 (10): 152. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=525514847&site=ehost-live.