Lewis, J. Patrick. (2006). Blackbeard, The Pirate King. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society. ISBN 0792255852
PLOT SUMMARY
Fourteen biographical poems featuring historical paintings and illustrations tell of the legends, adventures, and often unlawful escapades of Captain Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, the Pirate –the “notorious seaman”.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
J. Patrick Lewis writes about the myths, legends, and true accounts of Blackbeard as he sailed from Europe to Africa to the Caribbean Sea and finally the southern, Atlantic states. Lewis celebrates the “larger than life” persona of Blackbeard as “the most swashbuckling buccaneer of all” using rhyme and language relevant to the time that Blackbeard caroused, pilfered, and plundered the high seas.
In some selections, the rhythm and rhyme flow effortlessly creating an instant and intense image –“The ghostly headless figure / Of Blackbeard, it is said / Still swims under the moonlight / Looking for its severed head.” In other selections, the cadence is more free and somewhat forced –“His visage shown / So frightful that it chilled his foes / Straight to the marrowbone.”
The paintings and drawings included with the poems date from 1730 to the present and feature each artist’s interpretation of Blackbeard and his adventures; some are painted with shadowy, muted colors while others punch in fiery reds and vivid purples. Readers will appreciate both the timeline at the end of the book and the non-fiction additions after each poem that offer supplementary explanation of pirates, the symbolism of flying “colors” (flags), and Blackbeard’s exploits and final days.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST review – “This poetry collection is a shivery addition to the cannon…er…canon.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review – “Share this collection with reluctant poetry readers and anyone fascinated with the topic.”
BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOKS review – “The stylistic range of visual interpretations is impressive.”
CONNECTIONS
*Students can further research information on Blackbeard and write about his life. See more here.
*Students can further research information on Blackbeard and write about his life. See more here.
*Aside from enjoying the poems and artwork, students can discuss unfamiliar vocabulary words and their use today.
*More books by J. Patrick Lewis:
Lewis, J. Patrick. Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing Everyday Heroes. ISBN 0803729251
Lewis, J. Patrick. Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles. ISBN 0811846687
*More books about Blackbeard:
Croce, Pat. Blackbeard. ISBN 0762436735
Weintraub, Aileen. Blackbeard: Eighteenth-Century Pirate of the Spanish Main and Carolina Coast. ISBN 1404255583
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