DEAR MR. KILMER SUMMARY Chapter 1 Early morning during the above freezing February air,Richard,Gus and Pa went to dear hunting.Pa bet Richard was going to get his first deer on that day.However, Richard delibarately misfired to avoid killing the beautiful young buck.Gus tried to encourage his brother to more sociable and scolding him for missing the shot. Gus was active in sports meanwhile Richard loves farming.After dinner,Pa nad Gus started talk about sports.Richard went to the kitchen to help his sister Angie who has taking care of the house after their mother die.Pa and Gus always took it for granted.Richard explained to Pa that he did nit have the right to kill the animals.Pa confessed that he grieving everytime he shot an animal.In past eye,maybe he was remembering his wife or his brother ,Roland who was killed in a war in Cuba.Richard felt satisfied after he shared his feeling with Pa. Richard went to his room,and took a piece of paper and pen and started writing a poemabout How a Deer been killed and he put it in the drawer on top of other poemsand he did not want anyone to know about it. Chapter 2 The snow has come to an end.The school has started again in the month of April.America declares war on Germany.One morning,Richard's English teacher,Mrs Hansen,tells the class that a famous poet,Joyce Kilmer has just volunteered for army service in the ongoing world war.She reads a poem entitled "Tree" written by Joyce Kilmer to the class,Richard is fascinated by the beauty of the simple poem.Richard borrows Mrs Hansen poetry book and secretly jotted down the New Yorks Time editors office address .On the way back home.Richard meets Hannah Schermers,the preety girl of German crying in the hallway because someone had returned her "dirty hun"on her book cover. Richard confronts his classmates who then reveal their hatred toward Germans.After back home,Richard decide to write to Mr Kilmer ,he introduces himself and tels him that he likes his simple poems and shares about his secret poetry writing.He sents the letter to the New York Times Chapter 3 A terrible incident has happen at the tavern own by Hannah Schermers parents.It has been vandelised.To insteal good values in students,Mrs Hansen encourags her students to sign a card to expressing their sympathy for Hannah and her family.Mrs Hansen shocked at the protest by more vocal student and the culture of fear created by the class bullies which stop some sincere students from signing.In the end,only Richard sign the card.Richard action caused the students taunt him for supporting the German.Richard approaches his teacher and asked for the card and he want to personally delivered it to the Schermers.Abruptly,Richard was attacked by Abner and Harry but he manages to win the fight.Richard feels terrible as he wals home and keep pondering about the people of TurtleLake.On his way home,he climbs an old oak tree to watch a train pass by.He sees passanger happily travelling.As he reaches home,Angie running excitedly towards him with news that he has received a letter from New York.It is from Joyce Kilmer. Chapter 4 Joyce Kilmer letter to Richard consists plane simple answer and advice.He encourages him to pursue his poetic dreams with courage and confidence.He invite Richards to write again and sent him one of his poem.That night, Richard tried to be braved to share about the letter to his family.Pa,Gus and Angie didn't show any axcitement and they do not know who Joyce Kilmer is. Richard went to his room to reply Mr Kilmer's letter.Gus comes to the room and teases Richard on his sissy poems.Gus also advices him to try to fit in with his friends.
Next morning Richard oes to see Mrs Hansen to tell her about the letter.She is very impressed.Richards shows her a few of his favourite poems and she helps to select one to sent to Mr Kilmer.Mrs Hansen encourages him to share the letter to the class but Richard is not ready yet.Richard meets Hannah right after he cames out from Mrs Hansen room.She apologised Richard on what she has done the last time they met.She als shares her feeling and problems with Richard.Richard climbes the oak tree again and sees the train with a load of merry soldiers ontheir way to war.Richard is sad thinking about Mr Kilmer and Otto,the Hannah's brother. Chapter 5 It was the end of school and Richard shared Mr Kilmer's lettert to the class.Many of his classmates discouraged him about writing poems but Mrs Hansen always gave him support and adviced him to do what he liked.Richard and Mr Kilmer often exchanged their stories and wonderful poems.Hannah also fully supported Richard and helped him to fini9sh his poems.The poem turned out really well. In history class,Mr Higby described about the current battle .He also reminded his class to keep abreast of war events in summer holiday. During the summer,Richard helped his father at the farm and he also noticed that his father was always unhappy.One night,he wrote about his Pa and very pleased with his work. Richard received a reply from Mr Kilmer.He praised Richard's poem on the soldiers and he hoped this war will end all wars.Meanwhile,Richard continued to daydream about the smart and beautiful Hannah Schermer and wrote a poem about her.
Chapter 6 Richard and Kilmer exchanged a number of letter throughout the summer,Richard sent a poem with each letter and always delighted to recieve encouragement and suggestion to improvement.In early September,Kilmer told Richard that he had finally arrived in France.Richard was hoping that the war would end before Kilmer went to Europe. School started again,Mrs Hansen announced a plan to hold a patriotic programme to help sell Liberty Bonds,which helped finance the war.The show will involve music ,singing war songs.play Lady Liberty Role and Doughboy wearing a soldier 's uniform.The main roles will be played by the boy and girl who write the best essays.Each student secretly dreamed of playing the roles,however,Richard was selected to play the role of the Doyghboy and Hannah Schermers was selected for the role of Lady of Liberty.When Hannah read her essay in the class,Richard was the only one who applauded her.
Chapter 7 Mrs Hansen ask aHannah to read her essay in front of the class.Richard senses that some students appriciate Hannah's essay but to scared to clap because of the class bullies. The next morning some parents are already in the principal room that she chooses somebody else.Everyone in school is angry with Mrs Hansen choice. The next day,Mrs Hansen announces that Hannah has turned down the roll of Lady Liberty .She withdraws to avoid causing people more pain.Richard also give up the role of doughboy because he dislike the mean biased behaviour of his friends and neighbours.He wants to give moral support to Hannah.Mrs Hansen choose Millie and Herbie as the replacement. During the lunch break,Hannah invites Richard to her house for the supper.Richard informs Gus in school to tell their father that he will not be home for dinner. Gus says that he is unpatriotic and calling him a traitor.Richard walks with Hannah to her house.He spends a delightful evening with them.Time flies soon,it is dusk, when he reaches home,his father is waiting to talk to him at the porch. Chapter 8 Pa tells Richard that Abner's father complaint to him that he turned down his role in the school play to side with Schermer's.Richard explains to Pa the real story.He adds that Schermers are patriotic and want the Allies to win.Beside,their son Otto ,an American soldier. also fighting with the Allies.Pa advises Richard not to side with the Schermers against the rest of community.He adds that Schermers are diffrent.Beside,Abner's father and the other help him when he brokes his leg.Richard feels it is unfair because the Schermers were Americans and their pay taxes. Most of the students ignore Richard at school.He does not bother and become closer to Hannah.Whenever he is lonely,he goes to the Schermers as they understand him.He shares his poetry to them.Christmas is around the corner and Mr Kilmer has to spend it away from home.It is very cold in France as fighting continues.Richard send Hannah's cookies with nut and raisins and Mrs Schermer;s knitted scarf with his letter to Mr Kilmer.In class,Mr Higby informs that the American have pushed back the German in France. A picnic is planned for the last day of school in Turtle Lake.Richard and Hannah sit away from the others under a large tree .Richard carves a heart and their initial R and H on the oak tree.Suddenly,someone has thrown a stone at her.Her ankle is bleeding,Richard fix it up and see the word "hun" on the flat side. Chapter 9 Three days after Richard was having a picnic with Hannah.As usual,he and his father are cleaning the barn.What is so suprising on that day,Gus shows up earlier than usual.With a big smile,He tells his father and Richard that he made his place to the army.As he is so enthusiastic about it,his father acting against him,He tries to convince his father that he can survive the mass war.But still,his farher does not believe him as he knows the real situation which he experienced from the death of his brother in war.The arguement ends in a complete dissapoiment and tension.Richard stuck in the middle and decides to comfort his brother.Richard feels helpless as Gus wont accept it. The next morning,Gus and his friend go to Sioux City to catch the next troop train headed east.Before leaving,he has a talk with his father and shakes hand wirh Richard.He waves for the last time as sign of goodbye.Richard suddenly feels the fear that he will lose his beloved brother. Pa turns into more quiet person after Gus absence.Richard talks to Angie about his father state of mind because they both knows that his father must be grieving as he concers and worries for Gus.
He fells a great reliefs when he spend time with them rather than with his family.Besides that,he cannot imagine a time of joy without the letter and the poetry matters.He receives the most warmhearted and kindest letter he has ever received.Even so,it left Richard with a question in his mind regarding of what do poets and poetry do to make world better?Normally,he leaves the letter in the mail box,but this time,Richard feels an absolutely haste for him to send the letter.As he walk to the post office,he decides to stop at Schermers house to have talk with Hannah. Suprisingly,Hannah comes out with a gloomy expression on her face when Richard knocks the door showing that something sorrowful had happened.With a heavy heart,Hannah tells Richard that Mr Kilmer end up dying in the warzone. Chapter 10 Richard reads the news on how Mr Kilmer was killed.He startled when he sees Mr Kilmer's picture in the newspaper.He runs through the streets of Turtle Lake and climbs the highest branches of the oak tree.Richard is deeply dissapointed and decides to stop writing another new poem.Anywah he goes back home and writes another poem entitiled "In Memory of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer."After writing it,he wants to share it to somebody.He shares it with the Schermers because only they will understand.Hannah cries and Mr Schermers shed his tears.Richars feels guilty because his poem makes them think about Otto.Mr Schermers suggests Richard to send it to TurtleLake Weekly because they were many felt the same way as them. Hannah accompanies him to the newspaper office.When Mr Garrison begins to read the poem,Richard gets nervous and leaves because he scared his father will be angry.A few days later,the poem published in the newspaper.After the farm works,Pa ask Richard if he knows that Mr Kilmer has died.Richard says he does.Pa comes with the newspaper and talk about his brother Roland.Pa sobs and tells Richard about his brother Roland.Pa is amazed how Richard could use those word in his poem. In mid November 1918,The allies win.Pa ,Angie and Richard laughed because Gus still training hard for the war that is over.In the end,Pa always listen to Richard's poem and makes correction and give suggestion.He also gives compliment to his son.
