FREE CHOICE POETRY: Long Way Down

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Reynolds, J. (2019). Long way down. New York, NY: Antheneum. ISBN:9781481438261
SUMMARY: Long Way Down is a mystical realist novel for young adults by American author Jason Reynolds. Focused on the subject of gun violence, particularly the survivor’s journey from grief and trauma to catharsis and spiritual recuperation, it is told by teenager Will Holloman, who takes a surreal elevator descent through his apartment building on his way to avenge his brother’s death in a gang shooting.

ANALYSIS: The book Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a unique free verse poetry book. Long Way Down has one main setting in this story, an elevator. In this elevator, Will, the main character, is greeted by ghosts who knew his older brother Shawn. As Will ventures out to obtain justice for Shawn’s death, the spirits try to subliminally stop him from taking a life, just for revenge. Reynolds utilizes the format and details in the story to have different perspectives in one particular situation. One part of this structure is to gain different viewpoints on a specific case, the effect is to have Will think about the choices he’s about to make and learn from other’s stories. One by one throughout each floor, several ghosts who knew Shawn and/or Will enter the elevator and tell their stories. For instance, Will’s father came into the elevator and tells him about his experiences; he was murdered for killing the person who killed his brother. “Uncle Mark and my father looked at me with hollow eyes dancing somewhere between guilt and grief, which I couldn’t make sense of until my father admitted that he had killed the wrong guy.” (Reynolds, 218) By having Reynolds include these two significant statements, it allows Will to see how killing someone for vengeance is not only sinful, but can also go wrong many ways, such as bullets missing, killing the wrong person, and guilt. On a more consequential note, Long Way Down brings attention to the importance and cruelty of gun violence. This book mentions the absurd usage of weapons and killings, and how normal it is in Will’s world. For instance, on the elevator, characters such as Dani, Uncle Mark, and even Shawn were murdered by guns. The story’s structure is almost informative, telling stories about useless revenge and how people are killed every day. It brings notice upon a problem that is going on everywhere to this world. “I told her how I remember staring at her the whole time. Her eyes wide, brightness dimming. Her mouth, open. Bubble gum and blood.” (Reynolds, 133) People who read this book perhaps will see another story, another perspective on the dangers and tragedies of gun brutality. Today, gun violence is heard of way more than needed. Men and women with cold hearts do not think of other’s lives and stories as they ruthlessly kill. Long way down does a fantastic way of bringing consciousness to this matter.

USE: As expressed previously, Jason Reynolds uses perspective, persuasions, and detailed stories/expressions as a way to convince Will about his decisions. One poem that mirrors the analysis is In case you didn’t know (19). Reynolds write, “Gunshots make everybody/deaf and blind especially/ when they make somebody/ dead.// Best to become invisible/ in times like these./ Everybody knows that.// Even Tony flew away. This shows figurative language and how people in the community of the book chooses not to discuss with police who shot Shawn. This book is very relatable to the social issue in the world today and how society is corrupted with shootings of innocent people. I could use this book in poetry circles and have the kids read and reflect in their journals on each verse with a highlight of the importance. Then, the students can choose a verse to rewrite to change the perspective of a character.