Review of For Every One by Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds’s long-form poem, For Every One, is a masterful appeal to the dreamers of the world. Meant to be read out loud, this poem speaks to the fears and problems with dreams, but it also addresses the hopes that those dreams will come true. Reynolds claims repeatedly not to be an expert: “this letter is being written / from a place of raw honesty and love / but not all / a place of expertise / on how to make / your dreams come true” (Reynolds, 2018, pp. 3-5). The reader might argue that Reynolds knows quite a bit more than he is giving himself credit for. In either case, For Every One is an inspirational, beautifully written poem.

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Image of For Every One by Jason Reynolds. [Cover image of For every one]. Retrieved from https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/For-Every-One/Jason-Reynolds/9781481486248

Evaluation

Jason Reynolds is a master of language, and For Every One comes to life through his strong word choice. Throughout the poem, Reynolds plays with language. Reynolds imagines his readers as various people; maybe you are an actor, “praying at the altar of your alter ego” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 70). Reynolds plays with the homophones altar and alter here, making the reader focus on what the two different words mean. Throughout the poem, he repeats certain phrases and themes. He makes sure to tell us that the letter is being written from the inside: “From the front line / and the fault line” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 76). Later, he returns to the idea of lines, writing that “Dreams don’t have timelines, / deadlines, / and aren’t always in / straight lines” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 76). Reynolds plays with the language; it is like he is doing battle or standing at a rift, but those dreams just don’t work on a set schedule. Precise word choice is important in any poem, due to the small number of words used, but Reynolds truly is a master. His words are the perfect vehicles to bring his message to his young audience.

Along with word choice, Reynolds uses rich imagery throughout the poem. His dream is personified: “but my dream / won’t stop crying / screaming / like a colicky / infant. / Sometimes I think / it needs to be changed. Usually / it just needs to be fed” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 52-53). His dream does not need to be altered, but it does need Reynolds to feed it, to think about it, to work on it so that it can grow. Later, he describes his dream as a rabid beast that bit him when he was young (Reynolds, 2018, p. 91) and that now he chases. Along with his dream comes a great deal of uncertainty, and this insecurity is also personified (or perhaps a better word is dog-ified): “but I grip tight / a short leash / with insecurity / tied to the end / wagging along / beside me” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 57). Can’t you just imagine a nervous kid with insecurity tagging along, nestled next to him every step of the way? Through the poem’s rich imagery, the reader realizes that we all have dreams, and just like Reynolds’s, they must be fed and nurtured in order to flourish. Just don’t quote Reynolds on that, because as he says repeatedly, he is no expert.

Jason Reynolds has a gift with words, and there is a great musicality to the language throughout For Every One. The words provide a rich cadence: “It whispers to me / that I don’t have wings / that I don’t have a shot / that I don’t have a clue / but to me, / I don’t have a choice, / so I jump / anyway” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 62). Reynolds uses repetition, the “I don’t have,” to emphasize that it doesn’t matter what he doesn’t have – he doesn’t have a choice and he keeps on dreaming and pursuing that dream. In the poem, there is not much rhyme, but where Reynolds uses it, he uses it perfectly: “It all just depends. / Some say on skill. / Some say on will. / Some say on luck. / Some say on buck. / Some say on race. / Some say on face” (Reynolds, 2018, p. 18). What determines when your dreams come true? No one knows, certainly not Jason Reynolds, and he acknowledges that your dream may or may not come true, but it is the thing that makes you special. And dreams are worth having just for that reason alone.

Response

I listened to the audiobook version of the poem (read by Reynolds himself) and then went back and read the poem on paper, and both times, I was struck by how very much this poem resonated with me. The lines, “You might be fifty / and think it’s too late. / JUMP ANYWAY” (Reynolds, 2018, pp. 74.-75), made me feel like Jason Reynolds was speaking directly to me. It has been my dream to become a librarian for a few years, but I only took the leap and applied to grad school a year ago. I really wondered if it was too late and if I was too old, but I jumped anyway. And I was scared! The poem feels honest and real and Jason Reynolds writes in an engaging, relatable manner. Reynolds is not claiming to be an expert on making dreams come true, but he does encourage you to feed your dream; and in the end, it may not be the dream coming true that matters as much as the journey and the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this poem; it is excellent to read but even better to hear. Overall, I though For Every One was incredibly well-written and inspiring. I love Jason Reynolds’s writing and this just makes me want to pick up everything he has written. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages.

Conclusion

For Every One is an inspiring, beautifully written poem that encourages dreamers to keep on dreaming, no matter their age or their dream. Reynolds is a master of language and his rich language is what makes the poem so special. He plays with language and chooses his words carefully, uses vivid imagery, and infuses his poem with an intense musicality. The poem is encouraging and insightful without being preachy. I absolutely loved it and it is one I would read again and again. I recommend this book for ages 12 and up; this would be an excellent graduation gift and is a must-have for any middle or high school library. 5 stars.

Citations

[Cover image of For every one]. Retrieved from https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/For-Every-One/Jason-Reynolds/9781481486248

Reynolds, J. (2018). For every one. New York, NY: Atheneum.