Only Marilyn Nelson can take one of the most hideous events of the 20th century and make of it something glorious: An intricate cycle of 15 sonnets—an Heroic Crown, in which the last sonnet is made up of the first lines of the previous 14. As she considers the lynching of Emmett Till, she uses the traditional “language of flowers,” plaiting rosemary for remembrance, heliotrope for justice, daisies for innocence through her wreath. Individual poems speak in the voices of a witnessing tree and of Mamie Till Mobley, and broaden the mourning to include all victims of violence. It’s a towering achievement, one whose power and anger and love will make breath catch in the throat and bring tears to the eyes. Children’s book newcomer Lardy’s illustrations are bold and powerful, appropriately choosing disturbing imagery over depictions that are more realistic. The poem is followed by a brief account of Till’s lynching, glosses on the individual poems and an essay from the artist explaining his choices of imagery. The latter two are rather unfortunate additions, as the words, purified in the crucible of the form, speak eloquently enough on their own. (Poetry. 12+)

-Kirkus Review

Begins with “How I came to write this poem”

Marilyn Nelson memorializes Emmet Till in an epic and moving book using a heroic crown of sonnets. The first fourteen sonnets address different aspects of civil rights, American history, or the life of Emmet Till. The last sonnet is composed from the first lines from the preceding sonnets. The first letters of each line spell "RIP EMMET TILL". This a powerful book that I will not forget and will share given every opportunity. ( )

This book would be best used in a fifth-grade classroom as a read aloud. The content of the book is graphic and it would be best to have discussions along with the book. For the students, I would have them compose their own sonnets about their feelings of the book. Then students would be broken into groups to dissect the sonnets in the book and find the meaning behind them.

Nelson crafted an amazing work of art here with this melancholy, disturbing sonnet. I appreciate that she included educational supplementary materials; a synopsis of the Emmett Till story, commentary on all literary references to which she alludes, commentary on the poem itself, and insight into the writing process. Rich with symbolism, challenging vocabulary, and everything I love about poetry, I hope my more ambitious students will take the time to let Nelson take them where she wants them to go. ( )