Poetry Unit

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Poetry Unit

Name: ____________________

Period: ___________________

Date: _____________________

NO EXCUSES

Poetry Unit Anticipation Guide

A word is dead When it is said, Some say.

I say it just Begins to live That day.

~Emily Dickinson

In the beginning was the Word . . .

~John 1:1

The poet doesn't invent.

He listens.

~Jean Cocteau

Now hear this mixture

Where hip hop meets scripture Develop a negative into a positive picture

Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary.

~Kahlil Gibran My head is full of sound, remembered speech Syllables, ideas just out of reach;

. . .

When I was ten a fool and a king sang Rhymes about sorrow, and there I heard That nothing is until it has a word.

~Gillian Clarke

Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes.

~Carl Sandburg Science is for those

who learn; poetry, for those who know.

~Joseph Roux Poetry is what gets lost in

translation.

~Robert Frost

Poetry is life distilled.

~Gwendolyn Brooks

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If you agree with the following statements, write A. If you disagree, write D.

_____1. A poem looks different from a short story or play.

_____2. A poem always has some type of rhyme.

_____3. Poems are hard to read and rarely make sense.

_____4. A poem can tell a story.

_____5. A poem always conforms to the standard rules of punctuation.

_____6. A poem always has a hidden meaning.

_____7. All poems can be read to the same rhythmic pattern.

_____8. When reading a poem aloud, one should always take a brief pause at the end of each line.

_____9. I would rather read a poem than a novel or short story.

_____10. Poems are always shorter than short stories.

What is Poetry?

Look at the quotations about poetry on the very first page of this packet. Pick 2 and respond to them in the space below.

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What does this quotation mean to you? What do you think the author is trying to tell you? Do you agree or disagree with what the author has to say?

How do you read a poem?

Step 1:

Look at the poem’s__________ and make a_________________.

(Ask: What might this poem be _________? Make a prediction based on things you associate with the words in the __________. This is a lot like _____________________.)

Step 2:

Read the poem________. Get a sense of how it _________, how it works, what it might be about.

Circle ___________ words. Underline things that stick out (like _____________________________________.)

Step 3:

____________ a quick“first-impression.”

(Ask: What does this poem seem to be about? What do you notice about this poem so far?)

Step 4:

Quotation #2 Quotation #1

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_______________ each stanza or every couple of words in the most straightforward way possible and write___________ _____________about different lines.

Step 5:

Look for___________ and patterns.

(Ask: Is any word or line, image, color, or sound ____________? Does figurative language stick out to you? Is there rhyming or rhythm? Ask: What is the poet trying to show through this pattern?)

Step 6:

Identify the ________________. Ask: Who is ____________ in the poem? What is their _____________?And who are they speaking ____?

Step 7:

Read the poem again, ___________ if possible. Return to the title and ask yourself __________________

____________________________________. Now re-explain the important___________

_____________AND the ____________that created this message. Explain how the specific details _____________ to and _______________ the overall

meaning.

“Everything is Everything”

by Lauryn Hill Everything is everything What is meant to be, will be After winter, must come spring Change, it comes eventually I wrote these words for everyone Who struggles in their youth Who won't accept deception Instead of what is truth It seems we lose the game, Before we even start to play

Who made these rules? We're so confused Easily led astray

Let me tell ya that Everything is everything Everything is everything After winter, must come spring Everything is everything I philosophy

Step 1: LOOK at the TITLE and make a PREDICTION.

Step 2: READ the poem. CIRCLE unknown words. UNDERLINE things that stick out.

Step 4: SUMMARIZE stanzas and write QUESTIONS:

Step 3: WRITE a quick first impression.

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Possibly speak tongues

Beat drum, Abyssinian, street Baptist Rap this in fine linen

From the beginning

My practice extending across the atlas I begat this

Flippin' in the ghetto on a dirty mattress You can't match this rapper / actress More powerful than two Cleopatras Bomb graffiti on the tomb of Nefertiti MCs ain't ready to take it to the Serengeti My rhymes is heavy like the mind of Sister Betty L. Boogie spars with stars and constellations Then came down for a little conversation Adjacent to the king, fear no human being Roll with cherubims to Nassau Coliseum Now hear this mixture

Where hip hop meets scripture

Develop a negative into a positive picture Sometimes it seems

We'll touch that dream

But things come slow or not at all And the ones on top, won't make it stop So convinced that they might fall Let's love ourselves then we can't fail To make a better situation

Tomorrow, our seeds will grow All we need is dedication

Line/Stanza

Line: _____________________________________________________

Every poem is made up of _________, just like every person is made up of _______, or every piece of candy is made up of _________________. You can put a line anywhere you want in a poem. There are no _______about it.

Stanza:____________________________________________________

A stanza is usually ________. It is several lines put together in a group.

The Death of Santa Claus

Charles Webb

He's had the chest pains for weeks, but doctors don't make house calls to the North Pole, he's let his Blue Cross lapse,

Step 5: Look for STRUCTURE and PATTERNS.

Step 7: Put the pieces together to decipher the OVERALL MEANING.

Step 6: Identify SPEAKER and ATTITUDE.

NOTE: It’s ok that we don’t really know how to do all of these things yet! We’ll get there.

We just need to keep this order in the back of our minds while we analyze each poem.

Questions:

1. How many stanzas are in this poem?______

2. How many lines are in this poem? ________

3. Instead of the word “tears” in line 18, what’s another word that could go there?

___________________________________

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blood tests make him faint, hospital gown always flap open, waiting rooms upset his stomach, and it's only indigestion anyway, he thinks, until, feeding the reindeer, he feels as if a monster fist has grabbed his heart and won't stop squeezing. He can't

breathe, and the beautiful white world he loves goes black, and he drops on his jelly belly in the snow and Mrs. Claus tears out of the toy factory wailing, and the elves wring their little hands, and Rudolph's nose blinks like a sad ambulance light, and in a tract house in Houston, Texas, I'm 8, telling my mom that stupid kids at school say Santa's a big fake, and she sits with me on our purple-flowered couch, and takes my hand, tears in her throat, the terrible news rising in her eyes.

NOTES: RHYME SCHEME!!!

Free Verse: ____________________________________________________________

Rhyme: ____________________________________________________________

Ex. “Guy” and “Sky”; “weak” and “bleak”

End rhyme: ____________________________________________________________

Ex. “The winter sun’s a grumpy guy/ He hardly gets to see the sky”

Internal rhyme: ______________________________________________________

Ex. “He doesn’t speak. His rays are weak.”

Steps to identifying end rhyme 1. Read through the poem once.

2. Start by looking at the end of the first line. That word will be an “A”.

3. Read the next line. Does the line end with the same word? If so it will also be an “A”. Any words that end with the same sound will be “A”

4. If it is different than it will be a “B”.

5. Read through the poem to determine the rhyme scheme using letters “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D”

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Example

The Winter Sun Douglas Florian

The winter sun’s a grumpy guy. ____

He scarcely gets to see the sky. ____

He doesn’t speak. His rays are weak. ____

His disposition’s grim and bleak. ____

He hovers near the naked trees, ____

His blanket from the sky’s big freeze, ____

And barely dares to lift his head ____

Before he’s ordered back to bed. ____

Rhyme Scheme: _________________________________________________________________

Internal Rhyme:__________________________________________________________________

When I consider every thing that grows ___

Holds in perfection but a little moment. ___

That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows ___

Whereon the stars in secret influence comment. ___

When I perceive that men as plants increase, ___

Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky: ___

Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease, ___

And wear their brave state out of memory. ___

Then the conceit of this inconstant stay, ___

Sets you most rich in youth before my sight, ___

Where wasteful time debateth with decay ___

To change your day of youth to sullied night, ___

And all in war with Time for love of you, ___

As he takes from you, I engraft you new ___

-Shakespeare

Rhyme Scheme: ___________________________________________________________

Why do we rhyme???

Write down one reason why poets and rappers rhyme.

________________________________________________________________________

Effects of rhyme

- _____________________________________________

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DIRECTIONS: Use these rules to label the rhyming schemes of the following poems:

1. Lines that end with rhyming words should be labeled with the same letter.

2. Whenever you get to a line that doesn’t rhyme with anything that came before, that line should get the NEXT unused letter of the alphabet.

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

by Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans Reg E. Gaines

my leather adidas baseball cap matches my fake Gucci backpack

there’s nobody out there looks good as me but the gear costs money it sure ain’t free and it gots no job no money at all

but it’s easy to steal fresh gear from the mall parents say I shouldn’t but I know I should gots ta do what I can to make sure I look good

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Gold digger Kayne West

She take my money, well I'm in need Yeah she's a triflin friend indeed Oh she's a gold digger way over time That digs on me

Cutie the bomb

Met her at a beauty salon With a baby louis vuitton Under her under arm She said I can tell you rock I can tell by ya charm Far as girls you got a flock

I can tell by ya charm and ya arm but I'm lookin for the one

have you seen her

Every Ghetto, Every City Lauryn Hill

I was just a little girl

Skinny legs, a press and curl

My mother always thought I'd be a star But way before my record deal,

The streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill Made sure that I'd never go too far

Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've been Make me recall my days in the New Jerusalem

Story starts at Hootaville grew up next to Ivy Hill When kids were stealing quartervilles for fun

"Kill the guy" in Carter park Rode a Mongoose 'til it's dark

Watching kids show off the stolen ones

Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I've been Make me recall my days in New Jerusalem

This is a special

form of rhymin g poem

called a SONNE

T.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. ______

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height ______

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight ______

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. ______

I love thee to the level of everyday's ______

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. ______

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; ______

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. ______

I love thee with the passion put to use ______

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. ______

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose ______

With my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath, ______

Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose, ______

I shall but love thee better after death. ______

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TONE and MOOD Notes

Literary Term

Definition

TONE

The writer’s ________________, stated or implied, toward

_____________________ or someone. Some possible attitudes are serious, depressing, pessimistic, _______________, optimistic, sincere, ______________, bitter, humorous, and joyful. An author’s tone can be revealed through his/her _________________ of _________________ and _________________.

MOOD

The __________________ or atmosphere of _______________ in a literary work. The choice of __________________, objects,

_________________, images, and ________________ all contribute towards ___________________ a specific mood. For example, an author may create a mood of _________________ around a

character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or ___________________ tone. Mood words:

______________________, mysterious, gloomy,

________________, inspiring, _____________________.

Practice Time!

1) “I, Too” by Langston Hughes Analysis I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes,

But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong.

Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes.

Nobody'll dare Say to me,

"Eat in the kitchen,"

Then.

Besides,

They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

Tone

Is the TONE positive, negative, or neutral?

(circle one) + - 0

concerned ___ annoyed ___ determined ___

joyful ___ confident___ playful ___

excited ___ formal ___ anxious ___

depressed ___ angry ___ humorous ___

ironic ___ serious ___ cheerful ___

loving ___ sarcastic ___ sympathetic ___

Mood

romantic ___ gloomy ___ mysterious___

sorrowful___ realistic ___ frightening ___

lonely ___ warm ___ comforting ___

violent ___ hopeful ___ light-hearted __

inspiring ___ silly ___ depressing ___

angry ___ playful ___ heartbreaking ___

passionate ___ peaceful ___ sinister ___

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2) "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley Analysis Said I remember when we used to sit

In the government yard in Trenchtown Oba, observing the hypocrites

As they would mingle with the good people we met.

Good friends we’ve had, Oh, good friends we've lost along the way.

In this great future, you can't forget your past, So dry your tears, I say

No, woman, no cry. No, woman, no cry.

Little darling, don't shed no tears No, woman, no cry.

Said, said,

Said I remember when we used to sit In the government yard in Trenchtown And then Georgie would make the fire light As it was log wood burnin' through the night Then we would cook corn meal porridge Of which I'll share with you

My feet is my only carriage So I've got to push on through But while I'm gone, I mean...

Everything's gonna be alright Everything's gonna be alright

Tone

(circle one) + - 0

concerned ___ annoyed ___ nostalgic ___

Mood

3) “Alone” by Maya Angelou Analysis

Lying, thinking Last night

How to find my soul a home Where water is not thirsty And bread loaf is not stone I came up with one thing And I don’t believe I’m wrong That nobody,

But nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone Nobody, but nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Tone

(circle one) + - 0

concerned ___ annoyed ___ determined ___

Mood

The Sounds of Poetry: Alliteration and Onomatopoeia

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Class Notes:

Describe your favorite song to someone who’s never heard it before. Why is it your favorite? Does it have a good beat? Does the singer have a beautiful voice? Is it loud and energetic or slow and clam? Explain how it sounds.

Poets use both rhyme and rhythm to give their poems a _______________________ quality and make them sing, but these are not the only ways to create the sounds of poetry. Two other important techniques are _____________________________ and _______________________________. The names may be difficult to say, but the techniques are easy to learn and use.

Alliteration-- _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ex. “I’m so sick of love songs” – Ne-Yo “So Sick”

“Better be a better boy before you bother/ betting that you'll bring her back home again.”—Mick Terry

**Remember, alliteration is not a repetition of _____________________; it is a repetition of consonant sounds, such as

“fish” and “photograph.”

Onomatopoeia-- ____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

We use _________________________ when we say a cannon “booms” or bacon “__________________.” The words can echo a natural sound (___________, slap, rumble, snarl, moan) or a mechanical sound (whack, clickety-clack, _______________, toot).

Ex. “I got that boom boom pow/ How the beat go, boom boom pow.” – The Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow”

When Dawn Comes to the City

Poem with repetition

Underline all the places in this poem where the same word has been repeated more than once

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by Claude McKay

The tired cars go grumbling by, The moaning, groaning cars,

And the old milk carts go rumbling by Under the same dull starts.

Out of the tenements, cold as stone, Dark figure start for work;

I watch them sadly shuffle on,

‘Tis dawn, dawn, in New York

But I would be on the island of the sea, In the heart of the island of the sea,

Where the cocks are crowing, crowing, crowing, And the hens are cackling in the rose-apple tree,

Where the old draft-horse is neighing, neighing, neighing Out on the brown dew-silvered lawn,

And the tethered cow is lowing, lowing, lowing, And dear old Ned is braying, braying, braying,

And the shaggy Nannie goat is calling, calling, calling From her little trampled corner of the long wide lea That stretches to the waters of the hill-stream falling Sheer upon the flat rocks joyously!

There, oh there! on the island of the sea, There I would be at dawn.

The tired cars go grumbling by, The crazy, lazy cars,

And the same milk carts go rumbling by Under the dying stars.

A lonely newsboy hurries by, Humming a recent ditty;

Red streaks strike through the gray of the sky, The dawn comes to the city.

1. In, “When dawn comes to the city, what was your favorite repetition? Write it here:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why was this powerful to you? Why do you think the author repeated THAT specific word or

phrase?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reflections Dental

by Phyllis McGinley

Poem with alliteration

Underline all examples of alliteration in this poem (on the letters: “t”, “f”, and “c”)

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How pure, how beautiful, how fine Do teeth on television shine!

No flutist flutes, no dancer twirls,

But comes equipped with matching pearls.

Gleeful announcers all are born With set like rows of hybrid corn.

Clowns, critics, clergy, commentators, Ventriloquists and roller skaters, M.C.s who beat their palms together, The girl who diagrams the weather, The crooner crooning for his supper—

All flash white treasures, lower and upper.

With miles of smiles the airwaves teem, And each an orthodontist’s dream.

‘Twould please my eye as gold a miser’s—

One charmer with uncapped incisors.

1. What was your favorite line of alliteration in the poem? Write it here.

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Why was this a good example of alliteration? What effect did it have on you as a listener / reader?

Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out

by Shel Silverstein

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Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would not take the garbage out!

She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans,

Candy the yams and spice the hams, And though her daddy would scream and shout, She simply would not take the garbage out.

And so it piled up to the ceilings:

Coffee grounds, potato peelings, Brown bananas, rotten peas, Chunks of sour cottage cheese.

It filled the can, it covered the floor,

It cracked the window and blocked the door With bacon rinds and chicken bones,

Drippy ends of ice cream cones,

Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel, Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal,

Pizza crusts and withered greens, Soggy beans and tangerines,

Crusts of black burned buttered toast, Gristly bits of beefy roasts. . .

The garbage rolled on down the hall, It raised the roof, it broke the wall. . . Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs, Globs of gooey bubble gum, Cellophane from green baloney, Rubbery blubbery macaroni, Peanut butter, caked and dry,

Curdled milk and crusts of pie, Moldy melons, dried-up mustard,

Eggshells mixed with lemon custard, Cold french fried and rancid meat, Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat.

At last the garbage reached so high

That it finally touched the sky.

And all the neighbors moved away, And none of her friends would come to play.

And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said,

"OK, I'll take the garbage out!"

But then, of course, it was too late. . . The garbage reached across the state,

From New York to the Golden Gate.

And there, in the garbage she did hate, Poor Sarah met an awful fate,

That I cannot now relate

Because the hour is much too late.

But children, remember Sarah Stout And always take the garbage out!

Questions:

1. What phrase repeats in this poem?

______________________________________________

2. List two words that help you imagine the smell of Sarah’s garbage ________________________________

______________________________________________

3. List 5 examples of alliteration in this poem

______________________________________________

4. Draw a small picture below of what you visualize Sarah’s garbage to look like. Label at least 2 things in your illustration.

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A Poem For ‘Magic’” By Quincy Troupe take it to the hoop, “magic” Johnson

take the ball dazzling down the open lane herk & jerk & raise your six feet nine inch

frame into air sweating screams of your neon name

“magic” Johnson, nicknamed “windex” way back in high school

cause you wiped glass backboards so clean where you first juked & shook

wiled your way to glory

a new style of fusion of shake & bake energy

using everything possible, you created your own space to fly through – any moment now, we expect your wings to spread feathers for that spooky take-off of yours- then shake & glide, till you hammer home

a clotheslining deuce off glass

now, come back down with a reverse hoodoo gem off the spin, & stick it in sweet, popping nets, clean from twenty feet, right-side

put the ball on the floor, “magic”

slide the dribble behind your back, ease it deftly

between your bony, stork legs, head bobbing everwhichaway up & down, you see everything on the court

off the high, yoyo patter, stop & go dribble, you shoot a threading needle rope pass, sweet home to kareem cutting through the lane, his skyhook pops cords now lead the fastbreak, hit worthy on the fly

now, blindside a behind the back pinpointpass for two more off the fake, looking the other way

you raise off balance into space

sweating chants of your name, turn 180 degrees

off the move, your legs scissoring space, like a swimmer’s yo-yoing motion, in deep water, stretching out now toward free flight, you double pump through human trees, hang in place slip the ball into your left hand

then deal it like a las vegas card dealer

off squared glass, into nets, living up to your singular nickname so “bad,” you cartwheel the crowd towards frenzy

wearing now your electric smile, neon as your name in vitory, we suddenly sense your glorious uplift your urgent need to be champion

& so we cheer, rejoicing with you, for this quicksilver, quicksilver, quicksilver moment of fame, so put the ball on the floor again, “magic”

juke & dazzle, shake & bake down the lane take the sucker to the hoop, “magic” Johnson, recreate reverse hoodoo gems off the spin, deal alley-oop-dunk-a-thon-magician passes now, double-pump, scissor, vamp through space

hang in place & put it all up in the sucker’s face, “magic”

Johnson, & deal the roundball, like the juju man that you am like the sho-nuff shaman man that you am

“magic,” like the sho-nuf spaceman, you am

Based on the title “A Poem for ‘Magic’,” what do you think this poem might be about?

__________________________________________

While you read the poem, circle unknown words and underline 3 examples of alliteration.

Write a quick first impression here. What might it be about?________________________________________

_____________________________________________

How does the poet’s use of alliteration affect the way you read the poem? How does it sound when you heard it out loud?

____________________________________________

Why do you think the poet chose to use alliteration?

Does it have an effect on the poem’s tone?

_____________________________________________

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Knock Knock Daniel Beatty

As a boy, I shared a game with my father—

Played it every morning till I was three.

He would knock knock on my door,

And I’d pretend to be asleep till he got right next to the bed.

Then I would get up and jump into his arms.

“Good morning, Papa.”

And my Papa, he would tell me that he loved me.

We shared a game, Knock knock,

Until that day when the knock never came, And my Mama takes me on a ride past cornfields on this never-ending highway

Till we reach a place of high rusty gates.

A confused little boy,

I enter the building carried in my Mama’s arms.

Knock knock.

We reach a room of windows and brown faces.

Behind one of the windows sits my father.

I jump out of my Mama’s arms and run joyously towards my Papa’s, Only to be confronted by this window.

I knock knock trying to break through the glass, Trying to get to my father.

I knock knock as my Mama pulls me away Before my Papa even says a word.

And for years, he has never said a word.

And so, 25 years later, I write these words

For the little boy in me who still awaits his Papa’s knock.

“Papa, come home, ‘cause I miss you.

I miss you waking me up in the morning and telling me you love me.

Papa, come home, ‘cause there’s things I don’t know, And I thought maybe you could teach me

How to shave,

How to dribble a ball, How to talk to a lady, How to walk like a man.

Papa, come home, ‘cause I decided awhile back

I want to be just like you, but I’m forgetting who you are.”

And 25 years later, a little boy cries.

And so I write these words and try to heal

Based on the title “Knock Knock,” what do you think this poem might be about?

_________________________________________

What was the first sign that the speaker’s father was gone?

________________________________________________

Where did he go?

________________________________________________

Describe the game the speaker used to play with his father. ________________________________

________________________________________

_____

How was the sound “knock knock” a part of the game? ___________________________________

________________________________________

Write a quick first impression here. What might it be about?

_______________________________________________

While you read the poem, circle unknown words and underline things that stand out.

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And try to father myself.

And I dream up a father

Who says the words my father did not.

“Dear son, I’m sorry I never came home.

For ever lesson I failed to teach, hear these words:

‘Shave in one direction with strong deliberate strokes To avoid irritation.

Dribble the page with the brilliance of your ballpoint pen.

Walk like a God, and your Goddess will come to you.

No longer will I be there to knock on your door, So you must learn to knock for yourself.

Knock knock down doors of racism and poverty that I could not.

Knock knock on doors of opportunity

For the lost brilliance of the black men who crowd these cells.

Knock knock with diligence for the sake of your children.

Knock knock for me.

For as long as you are free,

These prison gates cannot contain my spirit.

The best of me still lives in you.

Knock knock with the knowledge that you are my son, But you are not my choices.”

Yes, we are our fathers’ sons and daughters, But we are not their choices.

For despite their absences, We are still here,

Still alive, Still breathing,

With the power to change this world One little boy and girl at a time.

Knock knock, Who’s there?

We are.

Limericks

SAMPLE POEM

What is the tone of this poem? How can you tell?

_______________________________________________________

How is the sound “knock knock” used symbolically in the second half of the poem? Does it represent a bigger idea or wish for his father or himself?

___________________________________________

Describe the overall message of the poem.

_________________________________________

How did the poet’s use of onomatopoeia affect your experience of reading/listening to it?

________________________________________________

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Bringing My Son to the Police Station to be Fingerprinted

Shoshauna Shy

My lemon-colored whisper-weight blouse with keyhole closure

and sweetheart neckline is tucked into a pastel silhouette skirt

with side-slit vents and triplicate pleats

when I realize in the sunlight through the windshield

that the cool yellow of this blouse clashes with the buttermilk heather in my skirt which makes me slightly queasy

however

the periwinkle in the pattern on the sash is sufficiently echoed by the twill uppers of my buckle-snug sandals

while the accents on my purse pick up the pink

in the button stitches and then as we pass through Weapons Check it's reassuring to note

how the yellows momentarily mesh and make an overall pleasing

composite

Questions:

1a. How many lines?____1b. How many stanzas?_____

2. Who is the speaker of this poem?

______________________________________________

3. In line 2, the speaker’s shirt isn’t actually talking. Why is the word “whisper” used?__________________________

______________________________________________

4. What is unique about the form/structure of this poem?

______________________________________________

5. What changes in the last stanza of this poem?_______

______________________________________________

6. What is the tone of this poem? List words that helped you decide.

______________________________________________

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“Woman Work”

Maya Angelou

I've got the children to tend The clothes to mend

The floor to mop The food to shop

Then the chicken to fry The baby to dry

I got company to feed The garden to weed I've got shirts to press The tots to dress The can to be cut

I gotta clean up this hut Then see about the sick And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine Rain on me, rain

Fall softly, dewdrops And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here With your fiercest wind Let me float across the sky 'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes Cover me with white Cold icy kisses and Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky

Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone Star shine, moon glow

You're all that I can call my own.

Questions:

1. How many lines?_________________

2. How many stanzas?_______________

3. List at least 2 pairs of rhyming words in the first stanza ___________________________________

__________________________________________

4. List at least 2 tasks included in “women’s

work”______________________________________

___________________________________________

5. List one word/phrase in this poem that you like? Why is the diction pleasing?_________________________

____________________________________________

6. How does the narrator of “Woman Work” feel about her job? Use at least 2 examples from the text.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

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Introducing Figurative Language: Simile and Metaphor

Sparker!

Fill in the blanks with the first thing that comes to mind.

I was as mad as _______________________________________________________

I love you like ________________________________________________________

Silent as _____________________________________________________________

Night is like __________________________________________________________

The cloud is a _________________________________________________________

My life is a ___________________________________________________________

My future is a ________________________________________________________

Class Notes:

What is figurative language?

 Figurative language is language that means ________________ than is says on the ______________________.

 It describes something through the use of unusual __________________________, for effect, interest, and to provide a new way of ________________________________________________________.

Figurative vs. literal language

 Figurative language is the opposite of literal language. _________________________ language means _________________________ what it ________________________.

 Most of the time we use _______________________ language, but _______________ use figurative language much more frequently.

 When we read poetry we must be __________________ of figurative language. Otherwise, the poem might make no sense at all.

“I’ve eaten so much I feel as if I could literally burst!” is truly a literal statement. T or F? _______

“My heart broke when my grandmother passed away.” is a figurative statement. T or F? _______

Simile and Metaphor:

There are several different types of figurative language. Today we will be focusing on just two.

Simile-- _________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ex. “Pretty as a picture/ Sweeter than a Swisher/ Mad cause I'm cuter than the girl that's witcha” --Keri Hilson “Pretty Girl Rock”

Metaphor--_______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Ex. “I guess he’s an Xbox and I’m more Atari,/ But the way you play your game ain’t fair.” --Cee Lo Green “Forget You”

Guided Practice:

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If you see a metaphor, mark the space with an M.

If you see a simile, mark the space with an S.

1. _____ She moved through the room like a cool summer breeze.

2. _____ Sheila was as sad as a basset hound when she heard the news.

3. _____ The news that she had won the sweepstakes was a dream come true for Jean.

4. _____ Taking standardized tests is torture unless you're prepared.

5. _____ Like a soldier marching into battle, the student body president went to meet with the new principal.

Try these on your own!

Write next to each one “metaphor” or “simile.”

_______________ 1. The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at all the cans on the grocery store shelves.

_______________ 2. As the teacher entered the room she muttered under her breath, “This class is like a three-ring circus!”

_______________ 3. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack.

_______________ 4. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day.

_______________ 5. I feel like a limp dishrag.

_______________ 6. Those girls are like two peas in a pod.

_______________ 7. The fluorescent light was the sun during the test.

_______________ 8. No one invites Harold to parties because he’s a wet blanket.

_______________ 9. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog’s bath.

_______________ 10.Ted was as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs.

Underline the simile in the story. Put a box around the metaphor.

For nearly a year, I moped around the house, the Store, the school, and the church, like an old biscuit, dirty and inedible. Then I met, or rather got to know, the lady who threw me my first lifeline. She Was an Angel.

1) Why is this a simile?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2) Why is this a metaphor?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Read the following lyrics and underline all the metaphors in the song.

“World’s Greatest” by R. Kelly

I am a mountain I am a tall tree

Ohhh, I am a swift wind Sweepin' the country I am a river

Down in the valley Ohhh, I am a vision And I can see clearly

If anybody asks you who I am Just stand up tall

Look 'em in the face and say I'm that star up in the sky I'm that mountain peak up high Hey, I made it. I'm the world's greatest And I'm that little bit of hope

When my back's against the ropes I can feel it, hmm I'm the world's greatest The world's greatest, ya

I am a giant I am an eagle Oh I am a lion Down in the jungle I am a marching band I am the people, ohh I am a helping hand I am a hero

If anybody asks you who I am

Just stand up tall look 'em in the face and say

Choose one of the metaphors in the song and explain what it means:

________________________________________________________________________________________

Read the following lyrics and underline all the similes in the song.

“Firework” by Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag Drifting through the wind Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin Like a house of cards

One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep Six feet under scream

But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light And let it shine

Just own the night Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework

Come on show 'em what you're worth Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"

As you shoot across the sky-y-y

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24 Choose one of the similes in the song and explain what it means:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Independent Practice:

“After a Heated Argument”

by Kaneto Tota

After a heated argument I go out to the street and become a motorcycle

“Tiburon” by Martin Espada East 116^th

and a long red car stalled with the hood up roaring salsa

like a prize shark mouth yanked open and down in the stomach the radio

of the last fisherman still tuned

to his lucky station.

Questions:

1. Is this poem an example of simile or metaphor? _______________________

2. How do you know?______________________________________________

3. Why would the speaker want to become a motorcycle? _________________

________________________________________________________________

4. When he says, “become a motorcycle” he is speaking figuratively. What does he want to do literally? _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Questions:

1. Describe the scene in the poem. _______________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. What literary device is used in line 5?_________________

3. What two things is the speaker comparing? In what ways are they alike? ______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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25

When Ure Hero Falls

Tupac Shakur

when your hero falls from grace all fairy tales r uncovered myths exposed and pain magnified

the greatest pain discovered u taught me 2 be strong but im confused 2 c u so weak

u said never 2 give up

and it hurts 2 c u welcome defeat

when ure hero falls so do the stars and so does the perception of tomorrow without my hero there is only me alone 2 deal with my sorrow

your heart ceases 2 work and your soul is not happy at all

what r u expected 2 do

when ure only hero falls

Questions:

1a. How many lines?___________ 1b. How many stanzas?__________

2. List a pair of rhymes in this poem:________________________________________________________________

3. Is line 1 an example of figurative language? Why or why not?__________________________________________

4. In your own words, what does the author mean when he says “pain magnified”? (line 3)_____________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

5. In your own words, what does the author mean when he says “when ure hero falls so do the stars”? (final stanza) Think: Can stars literally fall?_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What is the tone of this poem? How do you know?___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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26

The Dragon of Grindly Grun

Shel Silverstein

I’m the Dragon of Grindly Grun, I breathe fire as hot as the sun.

When a knight comes to fight I just toast him on sight,

Like a hot crispy cinnamon bun.

When I see a fair damsel go by,

I just sigh a fiery sigh,

And she’d baked like a ‘taters I think of her later

With a romantic tear in my eye.

I’m the Dragon of Grindly Grun, But my lunches aren’t very much fun, For I like my damsels medium rare, and they always come out well done.

Questions:

1a. How many lines?_____ 1b. How many stanzas?______

2. Who is the speaker of this poem? ______________________

3. Put a squiggly line under, and then list 2 similes in the poem:

___________________________________________________

4. What is the meaning of the word “toast” in line 4?__________

___________________________________________________

5. What is the meaning “as hot as the sun”?________________

___________________________________________________

6. Is the line “I like my damsels medium rare” a simile? Why or

\why not?____________________________________ ______

__________________________________________________

7. What is the speakers tone in this poem? How do you know (quote specific examples of diction).______________________

___________________________________________________

8. List an example of alliteration._________________________

9. List an example of repetition___________________________

10. What is your favorite comparison in this poem? Why?

___________________________________________________