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Introduction The novel that I have studied is Dear Mr. Kilmer by Anne Schraff.

It
is a moving novel that tells a story of a boy, Richard Knight, who tries to rise above the
pressure and influence from his family, friends and community to stay true to himself.
The plot of the story has captured my heart. There are many scenes in the novel that
made my feelings go up and down, like a rollercoaster.
One of the many scenes in the novel that made me sad is the scene where
Hannah breaks the news of Joyce Kilmers death to Richard. After receiving a letter from
Joyce Kilmer, Richard penned his reply and is on his way to put the letter in the mailbox.
However, he suddenly feels a mysterious urgency to post the letter. He then walks to the
post office. On his way, he passes by Hannahs house. Hannah then comes out to stop
Richard and ask him whether he heard of the news. I can only imagine Richards shock
and despair when he learnt about Joyce Kilmers death. There are many reasons why
this scene makes me sad.
Point (1) First and foremost, Richard has lost one of his true friends. Elaboration
(1) Joyce Kilmer has played an undisputable role in Richards poetic journey. As an
example in Chapter 1, Richard did not dare to share his poems with anyone. He would
only lock them up in his drawer. However, after Mrs Hansen reads the poem Tree in
class, Richard eventually gains confidence in himself and dares to share his poems with
the people around him. He even shared them with his class at the end of the school year!
It is Joyce Kilmer that nurtured Richards confidence and poetry skills. Elaboration (1A)
Hence, it can be seen that Joyce Kilmer is more than just a mentor to Richard he is a
true friend. From my point of view, it is very painful when we lose someone close to us.
Other than emotional pain, it can also cause heartache! Link (1) Therefore, I can
understand Richards pain when he learns about Joyce Kilmers death and I feel sad for
him too.
Point (2) On the other hand, this scene reminds me of the adverse, destructive
effect of war. As Joyce Kilmer dies, the war has claimed another innocent soul.
Elaboration (2) As it can be seen in the novel, Joyce Kilmer was originally a poet, and he
did not have the slightest intent of fighting. He is a nature lover, as which can be seen
through his poem Trees. However, when the war started, he became a soldier due to
his patriotism. Through his correspondence with Richard we can see that he hopes for
the war to end soon and he misses home. Elaboration (2A) Unfortunately his wish is not
fulfilled as he is killed before the war ends. Besides that, Richards uncle, Roland, had
also died in a war. The way I see it, war does not only affect those directly in it, it also
affects families and friendships. It is very sad when we lose a friend or family member to
the war. Link (2) Thus, this scene reminds me that war brings sadness to family and
friends of those who sacrificed themselves in the war. Sadness uncontrollably rises in
my heart when I read this scene.
Point (3) Last but not least, the third reason is that this scene reminds me that
life is unexpected. Elaboration (3) For example, Richard wanted to ask Joyce Kilmer
about the role of poets. However, he died before Richard could get an answer. Richards
question is left hanging and he has to seek the answer himself. He will have to continue
his poetic journey on his own without the usual aid of Joyce Kilmer. Elaboration (3A) I
do think that we cannot help but feel sad when life takes an unexpected turn of events. I
have many such personal experiences before. Link (3) Thus, I feel sad for Richard too
when he has to face the bitter truth of Joyce Kilmers death.
Conclusion In a nutshell, this scene is indeed a sad scene. It tastes bitter, but
there is sweetness in the bitterness. It tastes bittersweet, do you agree? As the saying
goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Even though this scene is sad, Richard learns to be
independent in his poetic journey.

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