Teen Interns Reflect: Literature, Poetry, and Art in the Library’s Collections

This summer the Library of Congress hosted several teens during their High School Summer Internship. During the internship, the teens were introduced to Library collections and initiatives which included meeting Mac Barnett, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and speaking with Library staff from the African and Middle Eastern, Manuscripts and Prints and Photographs Divisions. As the interns learned about the Library’s collections and work, they also shared their own thoughts and ideas about what was most interesting to them. The Library will be using their insight as a resource for future projects.

Last week we featured a blog post highlighting some of the connections these interns had to the Library’s collections and the personal journeys they saw reflected at the Library. Follow along as four more high school interns preview The Source: Creative Research Studio for Kids, the Library’s new education center. These interns explored creative works including poetry, writing, and prints which are held in the Library’s collections. The works that resonated with them included including performances, drafts of creative writing, and artistic renderings of things that remind them of their own childhoods. Follow along to see how they made connections to the Library of Congress.

Poetry in Performance

“The works I’ve read for school are the undeniable “American greats”: everything from Twain to Whitman. Each author I’ve come across has shaped American literature, weaving the past into prose. Because of this legacy, I’d never given much thought to contemporary American poetry. As I searched for historical pieces, I stumbled upon a modern-day American poet, weaving our present into her prose.

In This Place (An American Lyric) is a poem written and performed by Amanda Gorman at Tracy K. Smith’s inauguration as the 22nd Poet Laureate. Her poem focuses on the future of our country and how people across different cities can use their voice to spark change. Gorman writes that there’s “a poet in every American, who sees that our poem penned, doesn’t mean our poem’s end,” (09:37).

Being so young, history often feels like it’s already over. History fills up libraries and reading rooms with stories of lives already lived. However, I think it’s important to remember, as Gorman points out, that history is still being made. We are all poets, discoverers, and changemakers. Our lives have only just begun.

Do you agree with Gorman’s statement that there’s “a poet in every American?”  What makes someone a poet? And how can words be a powerful way to spark change?  As you consider these questions, you can learn  more about Amanda Gorman’s poetry in this past blog post from the Library.”

– Kira Kettler

Works in Progress

“How long does it take to achieve perfection? I furiously searched for this answer as I tried and tried again to reach this elusive standard—all to no avail. Walt Whitman was known for his constant revisions and “O Captain, My Captain” was no exception. In 1888, decades after its 1865 publication, Whitman received a book that used outdated lines from his poem and he handwrote corrections for the publisher. These edits make me wonder: is a literary work ever complete or always evolving? Is perfection even possible? His annotations let researchers uncover changes in his style across time. Interestingly, this poem, which is his most popular, is also the most traditional. Admittedly, my first time hearing the poem was while watching the film Dead Poets Society when students stand on their desks and declare “O Captain, My Captain!” as a final tribute to their beloved (yet controversial) teacher. The captain Whitman refers to in this poem represents President Abraham Lincoln, a fallen “captain” whose death prevents him from witnessing his Civil War victory. This contrast, between victory and loss, reminds me of the familiar bittersweet feeling many of us still relate to. Who, in your own life, is a “Captain?” How did they inspire you? Tell the “Captain” in your life how they have inspired you so they can experience their own victory in life.”

– Barkha Bishnoi

“’A man must crawl/Before he can walk” Langston Hughes wrote this line in his 1941 poem “Ballad of Booker T.” The Library has five drafts of this poem written in May and June of 1941. Hughes himself demonstrated this metaphor of crawling before walking through the edits he made on his own writing, from draft to final product. He wrote this poem about Booker T. Washington. Washington was born enslaved, and later created the Tuskegee Institute and the National Negro Business League to educate and bring about political empowerment for Black Americans. In this poem about Washington, Hughes shows how substantially a poem can change in drafts and revisions, from removing small words such as “is” and “may” to altering entire groups of lines. One of the early alterations I noticed was adding a repeat of the lines “Let down your buckets/Where you are” to the end of the poem. In each draft, a similar theme repeats, one of Booker T. Washington as a man who worked hard to bring education to African Americans. For example, the change in the lines “In your own backyard/There could be a star” to “Your fate is here/And not afar,” still delivers a similar feeling of closeness. To me, changing “backyard” to “not afar” shows the closeness of the community Washington was trying to build. These alterations do not seem to attempt to change the meaning of the section but rather display the meaning in a different way. Similar to how we think about the alterations in Hughes’ writing, how can you reflect upon writing you have done in the past? What can the changes you have made reveal about your process?”

– Curtis Berzofsky

Woodblock Art

“Seeing Yamashita chō hibiya Soto sakurada, a Japanese woodblock carving by the influential ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige Andō, instantly reminds me of the windy days I’ve spent flying kites. In my Florida hometown, these aerial art pieces can often be found trailing through the sky, with their designs serving as symbols of the diverse coastal culture underneath them. Upon further inspection, Ando’s depiction of the scenery around Edo Castle in Tokyo, Japan made me wonder more about what it was like to grow up during the height of the Japanese empire in the late 19th century. From the vantage point of a kite, what did everyday life look like? Considering the towering Mount Fuji in the background, Ando’s piece captures not only recreation activities, but also some of the buildings and scenery associated with Japan. If you had to create a drawing of your hometown, what are some items you would include? If there was a kite that represented your city, what kind of designs would be on it?”

– Sam Evans

These teens found their own connections with the Library’s featured collections from The Source. Explore the Library further to find your own inspiration in the poetry, art, and literature. What inspires you in the collections? Follow along as we feature our final Summer High School intern’s explorations in the upcoming weeks.