CHAPTER 2

LETTER TO KILMER
 SUMMARIES OF
CHAPTER 2

 UNITED STATES DECLARED A WAR ON GERMANY.
 RICHARD AND GUS ENJOY MORE PLEASANT WALK TO
SCHOOL OR GET A RIDE FROM PA.
 ONE MORNING,HIS ENGLISH TEACHER, MRS HANSEN,
READS OUT A POEM ENITLED “TREES” BY JOYCE KILMER.
RICHARD IS FASCINATED BY THE BEAUTY AND
SERENITY OF THE ENGAGINGLY SIMPLE POEM WHICH
COMPARES A TREE TO A POEM.
 SHE TELLS THE CLASS THAT JOYCE KILMER HAS JUST
VOLUNTEER FOR ARMY SERVICE IN THE ONGING
WORLD WAR 1. THE CLASS ALSO LEARN THAT POETS
SUCH AS LORD BYRON AND WALT WHITMAN WERE
ALSO INVOLVED IN NATIONAL SERVICE.
 
 THRILLED TO HAVE FOUND A NEW HERO,RICHARD
BORROWS MRS HANSEN’S POETRY BOOK “TREES AND
OTHER POEMS” AND SECRETLT TAKES DOWN THE
EDITOR’S OFFICE ADDRESS OF “THE NEW YORK TIMES”.
 RICHARD CATCHES HANNAH SHERMER,THE PRETTY
GIRL OF GERMANY ANCESTRY, CRYING IN THE
HALLWAY BECAUSE SOMEONE WRITTEN “DIRTY HUN”
ON HER BOOK COVER.RICHARD CONFRONT HIS
CLASSMATES WHO THEN REVEAL THEIR HATRED FOR
GERMANY.
 AFTER COMPLETING HIS FARM CHORES, RICHARD GOES
TO HIS ROOM AND EAGERLY READS THE POEMS OF
JOYCE KILMER. HE IS DRAWN TO THE EASY RHYTHMS OF
JOYCE KILMER’S VERSES,WHICH CELEBRATE THE JOYS
OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
 
 RICHARD DECIDES TO WRITE TO MR KILMER . HE
INTRODUCES HIM SELF AND ELLS HIM THAT HE LIKES
HIS SIMPLE POEMS, WHICH REVEAL HIS LOVE FOR ALL
LIVING THINGS. RICHARD SALUTES HIM FOR ENLISTING
AND PROMISES TO PRAY FOR HIM.
 THE 15-YEARS-OLD IOWA FARM BOY THEN SHARES
ABOUT HIS SECRET POETRY WRITING, HIS LONELINESS
AND HIS JOY IN FINDING A KINDRED SPIRIT IN JOYCE
KILMER. HE ADDRESSES IT TO “THE NEW YORK TIMES”
AND DROPS IT OFF AT THE POST OFFICE.
 SETTING

 PLACE
 IOWA, IN HE MID-WESTERN UNITED STATES , WITH ITS
ROLLING PLAINS AND FARMLAND
 RICHARD’S SCHOOL – ENJOYED AND INFORMATIVE ENGLISH
AND HISTORY LESSONS: TENSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE PRESENT
BECAUSE OF PREJUDICE AND FEAR.
 TIME
 WORLD WAR I (1914 – 1918), MORE SPECIFICALLY 1917, WHEN
AMERICA JOINED HE ALLIES IN ORLD WAR ONE (WWI)
 SOCIAL
 LOWER MIDDLE CLASS (FARMER) AND UPPER MIDDLE CLASS
(TEACHER,SHERMERS)
 CHARACTERS

 MAIN CHARACTER – RICHARD KNIGHT
• 15-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO LIVES ON A FARM IN IOWA
• BLONDEW HAIR,TALL,PALE AND SLENDER, LIKE HIS MOTHER
.
• HAS A GOOD SENSE OF VALUES – INTEGRITY,HONESTY
• A DREAMER , A LONER ,DOES NOT REALLY FIT IN WITH HIS
COMMUNITY
 
MINOR CHARACTER
 GUS
• RICHARD’S OLDER BROTHER
• DARK AND BRAWNY LIKE PA ,AN OUTDOOR PERSON
• A MEDIOCRE STUDENT
• ATHELIC,POPULAR,SOCIABLE ,IMPATIENT
 JOHANN SCHERMER
• BIG-BONED,BEEFY MAN WITH A WALRUS-LIKE MOUSTACHE,
WARM SMILE ,SMOKES A PIPE
• WARM,FRIENDLY , AN OPTIMIST, BELIEVES PEOPLE ARE
BASICALLY GOOD
• STUDIED AT UNIVERSITY OF HEIDELBURG AND LOVES TO DISCUSS
ART ,LITERATURE,HISTORY,MUSIC
 THEMES

CHALLENGES OF
GROWING UP

UNDERSTANDING HUMANITY AND

FAMILY FRIENDSHIP GIVE
RELAIONSHIPS US HOPE
 MORAL VALUES


RATIONALITY DILIGENCE INTEGRITY

 QUESTION

1. WHY WAS RICHARD SO FASCINATED BY THE
POEM TREES?
2. HOW DID RICHARD MANAGE TO CONTACT JOYCE
KILMER?
3. STATE THREE THINGS THAT RICHARD
MENTIONED IN HIS FIRST LETTER TO JOYCE
KILMER.
4. GIVE THE CHARACTERISICS MAIN CHARACTER OF
THE NOVEL.
5. GIVE THREE REASONS WHY RICHARD WROTE TO
JOYCE KILMER.