The novel that I read was Dear Mr Kilmer by Anne Schraff.

Based on the novel, a life changing

event which happened to Richard, the main character of the novel, is the death of his friend and fellow
poet, Sergeant Joyce Kilmer which I, as a reader, have learned many precious life lessons from.

Mr. Kilmer played an important role in Richards life as a friend, from sharing emotional
moments with each other to Mr. Kilmer being Richards mentor in poetry. They regularly exchanged
letters whilst Mr. Kilmer was enlisted in the army which usually consisted of details of their woes in life.
Sadly, Kilmer breathed his last on the battlefield near Muercy Farm, beside the Ourcq River in
France, on July 30, 1918 at the age of 31 due to being shot in the head by a sniper.

One of the life lessons which I have learned is to appreciate and be grateful for the
people who have touched our lives. Richard was startled when he saw the picture of his late friend in
the newspaper. This was because he was devastated from losing one of his closest friends who had
regularly gave him words of encouragement when no one else supported him in such a horrendous an
unexpected manner. When he went back home, he wrote another poem entitled "In Memory of
Sergeant Joyce Kilmer" which expressed his appreciation to Mr. Kilmer Richard who had been his
supporter and friend and how much he had meant to Richard. After writing it, he shared it with the
Schermer because he felt that only they would understand how much he cared. Hannah cried and Mr.
Schermer shed tears as they could relate to worried for Otto who had gone to war. Mr. Schermer
suggested that Richard should send the poem to Turtle Lake Weekly because there were many who felt
the same way as him about their own family and friends. This has made me realise that we could lose
someone important to us at any time which is why we should always make the most out of the time we
have with them and remember them even when they are gone.

Besides that, another lesson I have learned from this event is that we should always be
compassionate to those in need. The Schermers knew that Richard was shocked and gloomy when he
heard about that Mr. Kilmer had become food for worms. They understood better than anybody in Turtle
Lake how much Joyce Kilmer had meant to him. They drew Richard into the house with great
compassion. They also listened to Richards poem and cried which clearly showed how much they cared
about Richard besides providing him a shoulder to cry on and come to terms with the event. This moral
value here we must try to understand other people around us and be compassionate and attempt to
help them with their problems if we are able. The world will be a better place if there are more kind and
compassionate people who have more empathy and take care of each others feelings.

Furthermore, another lesson I have learned from Mr. Kilmer biting the dust is that we should be
brave enough to express ourselves. Richard had always been insecure about his poetry and Mr. Kilmer
was one of the few people he felt comfortable with to share his poems. When he died, Richard wanted
to stop writing poems altogether however his death also inspired him to write one of his most
meaningful and beautiful poems, In Memory of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer". Without Mr. Kilmer dying,
Richard wouldnt have likely shown his poetry to the whole town and expressed his feelings which
resonated with the feelings of other townsfolk. Richards decision to get his poem published eventually
led to him and Pa having a stronger bond as father and son. When we are brave enough to express
ourselves, we can get other people to understand us and overcome misconceptions about us leading
each of us to a more happy and fulfilling life.

In a nutshell, the sad demise of Joyce Kilmer played a pivotal role to the development of
Richards character and also his relationships with other characters and I, a reader, was able to learn a
great number of life lessons from it too.