unit 9

Report from Rockport, 1940. Stuart Davis. Private Collection.

610 T E A C H E R ’ S E D I T I O N

UNIT SKILLS OUTLINE

Literary Skills and ConceptsAim, 650, 653Alliteration, 612, 630, 633, 634,

637, 676Assonance, 612, 630, 633, 650, 653Colorful Language, 612Concrete Poem, 612, 625, 628Dialogue, 645, 649Figure of Speech, 612, 613, 618,

664, 667Flashback, 650, 653Free Verse, 613, 618Haiku, 612, 669, 673Image, 612, 613, 618, 619, 624 Imagery, 612, 613, 618, 619, 624,

625, 628, 669, 673Irony, 619, 624Lyric Poem, 612, 661, 663, 664,

667Metaphor, 612, 613, 618, 677, 664Narrative Poem, 612, 656, 659Onomatopoeia, 612, 634, 637Personification, 612, 619, 624, 664Repetition, 612, 638, 642, 656, 659Rhyme, 612, 638, 642Rhythm, 612, 630, 633Simile, 612, 677, 664Suspense, 656, 659Symbol, 612, 645, 649, 661, 663

Writing Skills and ConceptsAdvice Column, 655Fortune Cookie Inserts, 654Freewriting a Poem, 643Haiku, 674Instructions, 628, 674Lyric Poem, 676Promotional Blurb, 674Self- and Peer Evaluation, 679Thesis Statement, 643

Language, Grammar, and StyleAdding Colorful Language to

Sentences, 655Functions of Sentences, 629Modifiers, 660Prepositional Phrases, 655Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement,

678Synonyms, Antonyms, and

Homonyms, 660Using a Dictionary, 674Using a Thesaurus, 655Word Formation, 660

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this unit will enable students to• appreciate enjoy lyric and narrative poetry• define and identify techniques in poetry such as

imagery, shape, sound, and meaning• define and identify forms of poetry, including

narrative, lyric, and haiku

• engage in a meaningful independent readingexperience by reading a poetry anthology on lossand compiling a their own poetry anthology

• write a lyric poem• demonstrate an ability to use pronoun/antecedent

agreement

U N I T N I N E

T E A C H E R ’ S E D I T I O N 611

CROSS-CURRICULARCONNECTION

Arts and HumanitiesCreating Found Art, 640Illustrating a Silverstein Poem,

639Images of Filling Stations and

Barns, 620Lyric Poems about Food, 635Point of View Essay, 631Researching Constellations, 662Tribute to a Male Role Model,

651Visual Image from a Haiku, 670Writing a Concrete Poem, 626Writing a Poem, 614Writing a Series of Haiku, 670Writing Descriptive Paragraphs, 620

Mathematics and SciencesAttitudes about Poetry Poll, 615Brainstorming a List of Junk, 639Dissecting Fruit, 615Documentary on Parrots, 646Parrot Research Report, 646Researching Constellations, 662Varieties of Apples, 665Why Stars Change, 662

Social StudiesResearching the Crimean War, 657

Applied ArtsCorn Cookbook, 651Lyric Poems about Food, 635Writing a Series of Haiku, 670

TEACHING THE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES (CONT.)

TEACHING THE MULTIPLEINTELLIGENCES

Logical-MathematicalAttitudes about Poetry Poll, 615Dissecting Fruit, 615Documentary on Parrots, 646Informal Class Debate, 631Parrot Research Report, 646Researching Constellations, 662Varieties of Apples, 665Why Stars Change, 662

SpatialCreating Found Art, 640Dissecting Fruit, 615Illustrating a Silverstein Poem,

639Images of Filling Stations and Barns,

620Researching Constellations, 662Varieties of Apples, 665Visual Image from a Haiku, 670

KinestheticA Characteristic Memory, 650Becoming More Optimistic or

Pessimistic, 630

Creating Unique Descriptions, 625Describing Your Bedroom, 619 Expressing Feelings, 645Personal Treasure, 638Sacrificing One’s Life, 656Selective Hearing, 669Sensory Details, 613, 664Thoughts about Space, 661Your Favorite Food, 634

InterpersonalA Characteristic Memory, 650Abandoned Buildings, 623Attitudes about Poetry Poll, 615Becoming More Optimistic or Pessimistic, 630Brainstorming a List of Junk, 639Brainstorming Session, 662Class Discussion, 641, 652, 657

(Continued on page 612)

612 U N I T N I N E / W O R D S I N M O T I O N : P O E T R Y

The main elements of poetry are imagery, shape, sound, and meaning.

IMAGES AND IMAGERY. An image is language that creates a concrete representation of anobject or an experience. An image is also the vivid mental picture created in the reader’smind by that language. The images in a literary work are referred to, when consideredtogether, as the work’s imagery. Poets use colorful, vivid language and figures of speech tocreate imagery. Colorful language is precise and lively words and phrases that help to cre-ate clear pictures in the reader’s mind. A figure of speech is language meant to be under-stood imaginatively instead of literally. Metaphor, simile, and personification are figures ofspeech. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about asif it were another. A simile is a comparison using like or as. Personification is describingsomething not human as if it were human.

SHAPE. The shape of a poem is how it looks on the page. A concrete poem, or shapepoem, is one with a shape that suggests its subject.

SOUND. The sound of a poem is created through the use of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, asso-nance, onomatopoeia, and repetition. Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends ofwords, like locks, box, and socks. Rhythm is the patterns of beats in a line of poetry orprose. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of syllables, as inPeter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds instressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds, as in lime light. Onomatopoeia isthe use of words or phrases, like meow and beep, that sound like what they name.Repetition is more than one use of a sound, word, or phrase.

MEANING. Meaning in poetry is created in many ways. The use of symbols appeals to emo-tion, and techniques such as dialogue and flashback can add meaning to a poem. A symbolis a thing that stands for or represents both itself and something else.

Poetry comes in two main forms: narrative and lyric.

FORMS OF POETRY. A lyric poem is highly musical verse that expresses the emotions of aspeaker and does not tell a story. Lyric poems focus on ideas. A narrative poem is a versethat tells a story. Haiku is a highly specialized form of lyric poetry—a traditional Japanesethree-line poem. It has five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in thethird. Haiku and other poems written in languages besides English must be translated sothat people can read them in English.

ELEMENTSELEMENTSof P O E T R Y


TEACHING THE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES (CONT.)

TEACHING THE MULTIPLEINTELLIGENCES (CONT.)

Corn Cookbook, 651Creating Unique Descriptions, 625Describing a Sunrise or Sunset, 627Describing Your Bedroom, 619Difficult Words and Phrases, 620,

626Disappearing Filling Stations and

Barns, 620Dissecting Fruit, 615Dramatic Interpretation of Poem,

657Effects of Positive and Negative

Attitudes, 632Expressing Feelings, 645First-Choice Poem, 616Informal Class Debate, 631Interviewing a Poet, 626Japanese Words in the English

Language, 670Least Favorite Seasons, 636Mistaken Order, 658Noticeable Surroundings, 666Oral Reading, 631, 639, 662Other Subjects for Haiku, 671Paired Oral Reading, 614, 635, 651,

665Personal Treasure, 638Reading a Haiku, 670Researching Constellations, 662Researching the Crimean War, 657Role-Playing a Character, 648Sacrificing One’s Life, 656Seasonal Foods, 635Selective Hearing, 669Sensory Details, 613, 664Small-Group Discussion on Food,

614Small-Group Research Project, 665Syllables in Japanese Words, 670Thoughts about Space, 661

Varieties of Apples, 665Why Stars Change, 662Writing a Series of Haiku, 670Your Favorite Food, 634

NaturalistCorn Cookbook, 651Documentary on Parrots, 646Parrot Research Report, 646Researching Constellations, 662Varieties of Apples, 665

INTERNET RESOURCES

The Academy of American Poetshome page at http://www.poets.org/index.htmloffers a broad range of informationabout poetry, a Find-a-Poet link tohelp students learn more about theirfavorite poets, activities related tospecial events, and questions fordiscussion. This site is an excellentway to help students see what ahuge presence poetry has in theUnited States and beyond.

http://www.poets.org/index.html

613

P O E M S / I M A G E R Y

What images would you use todescribe your favorite poem?

• Free verse originated amongFrench poets in the late1800s. The French poetswanted to use the rhythmsfound in natural speech.This was achieved bywriting lines of differentlengths and meter. The linesin these poems usually didnot rhyme.

• “Poetry,” like poems bymany writers, focuses on thepoet’s craft. “How to Eat aPoem” focuses on thereader of the poem.Successful poets love wordsand language. Some expresstheir thoughts aboutlanguage and poetry in apoem, reflecting on howthey communicate throughtheir art. Although a goodpoem may seem natural orsimple, most are the endresult of writing, crossingout, starting over,scribbling, and rewriting. As poet John Frederick Nimssays, “Most writers workhard over their lines to makeit seem they have notworked at all.”

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource

FIGURE OF SPEECH. A figure of speech is a statementthat has more than a straightforward, literal meaning.

Hyperbole, metaphor, personification, and simile are examples offigures of speech. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which onething is spoken or written about as if it were another. A metaphorinvites the reader to make a comparison between the two things.Sometimes a metaphor is directly stated: Love is a red rose. Othertimes, a description alone makes the comparison: That song alwaysleaps from inside me and gallops around in circles, restless and eager.What metaphors can you find in “Poetry”? What two things does“How to Eat a Poem” compare?

FREE VERSE. Free verse is poetry that does not use regularrhyme, rhythm, meter, or division into stanzas. Read bothpoems out loud. Listen to the rhythm created by naturalspeech. How would you describe the rhythm of “Poetry”? Howwould you describe the rhythm of “How to Eat a Poem”?

IMAGE AND IMAGERY. An image is language that creates a con-crete representation of an object or experience. An image isalso the vivid mental picture created in the reader’s mind bythat language. The images in a literary work are referred to,when considered all together, as the work’s imagery. As youread “Poetry,” notice the words or phrases that Giovanni usesto describe poetry, poets, and poems. Make a cluster chart likethe one shown in the graphic organizer below. In the center ofyour cluster chart write poetry. Around it write words or phrasesfrom the poem that describe poetry. Circle the descriptivewords or phrases and connect the circles with lines. Make asimilar cluster chart for “How to Eat a Poem.”

Reader’s T O O L B O X

Prereading

“Poetry”and

by Eve Merriam

Graphic

“How to Eat a Poem”

by Nikki Giovanni

motiongraceful as

a fawn

strong likethe eye

poetry

gentle as ateardrop


GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• Have a positive experience reading two poems that

explore the speakers’ feelings about poetry• define figure of speech and metaphor and identify

examples of metaphors in poetry

• define and identify examples of free verse• define image and imagery and identify images in a

poem

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

UNIT 9 RESOURCE BOOK

• Selection Worksheet 9.1• Selection Check Test 4.9.1• Selection Test 4.9.2

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students may include the followingwords and phrases from “Poetry”:“motion graceful as a fawn”;“gentle as a teardrop”; “strong likethe eye”; “poems seek notacceptance but controversy”; “apoem is pure energy/horizontallycontained between the mind/of thepoet and the ear of the reader”;“poetry is song”; “poetry is joy”; andits message is “life is precious.”

Students may include thefollowing words and phrase from“How to Eat a Poem”: “It is readyand ripe now, whenever you are”;“no core/or stem/or rind/or pit/orseed/or skin/to throw away.”

READER’S JOURNAL

You might expand this assignmentby asking students what details ofsight, sound, touch, smell, or tastethey associate with their favoritepiece of writing of any genre. Forexample, do they like a personalessay they read because it remindsthem of the taste of salt in the air bythe shore? Do they like a novel theyhave read because it helps themenvision a gritty pirate and his parrotthat calls out, “pieces of eight”?

poetry is motion gracefulas a fawngentle as a teardropstrong like the eyefinding peace in a crowded room

we poets tend to think our words are goldenthough emotion speaks tooloudly to be definedby silence

sometimes after midnight or justbefore the dawnwe sit typewriter in handpulling loneliness around usforgetting our lovers or children who are sleepingignoring the weary warinessof our own logicto compose a poem

no one understands itit never says “love me” for poets are beyond loveit never says “accept me” for poems seek notacceptance but controversyit only says “i am” and thereforei concede that you are too

a poem is pure energyhorizontally contained between the mind of the poet and the ear of the readerif it does not sing discard the earfor poetry is songif it does not delight discardthe heart for poetry is joyif it does not inform then close off the brain for it is deadif it cannot heed the insistent messagethat life is precious

which is all we poetswrapped in our lonelinessare trying to say �

According to thespeaker, what dopoets think theirwords are?

Why does a poemnever say “acceptme”?

war • i • ness (war’ e nəs) n., cautiousness, watchfulness. The cat approached the dog with obvious wariness.

con • cede (kən sed’) v., accept as true. After hearing the same story from several witnesses, the officer conceded that thewoman had been speeding.

in • sis • tent (in sis’ tənt) adj., persistant, never-tiring. Jacob sleepily fumbled with the clock to stop the insistent beep ofthe alarm.


What are all poetstrying to say?

Nikki Giovanni


INDIVIDUAL LEARNINGSTRATEGIES

MOTIVATION

Encourage students to discussin small groups foods theyconsider to be delicious andsatisfying to eat. Encouragestudents to go beyond the tasteof the food to discuss whatabout the experience of eating thisfood they enjoy. For example, dothey enjoy the crunch of biting intoone of the fall’s first apples? Do theylike knowing that it was one of thefall’s first apples, and perhaps, thatthey picked it themselves? Do theyenjoy the aroma of Thanksgivingdinner cooking in the oven all dayalmost more than they enjoy themeal itself?

READING PROFICIENCYEncourage students to pair upwith a reading partner. Haveone partner read, “Poetry,” asthe other closes his or her eyesand listens. The listeningpartner should then read aloud“How to Eat a Poem,” while his orher partner closes his or her eyes andlistens. The two should thenexchange roles, so each partner getsthe benefit of hearing both poemsread aloud.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:golden—of a high degree of

excellencewariness—quality of being cautious

and cunning about detecting andescaping danger

controversy—discussion marked bythe expression of opposing views

discard—get rid ofripe—fully prepared; brought to full

flavor or the best staterind—tough outer layer, such as the

peel on a lemon

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents may find “Poetry” tobe more challenging that “How toEat a Poem.” Tell students to let theGuided Reading questions point themto important parts of the poem. Theymay wish to focus their responses tothe Investigate, Inquire, and Imagine

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING STRATEGIES (CONT.)

ANSWERS TO GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

1. Poets think their words are golden.2. Poems seek not acceptance but

controversy.3. Poets are trying to say that life is

precious.

questions to the Recall questions. They can listen in tothe class discussion on higher level questions andparticipate however much they want, depending onwhat their comfort level with “Poetry” is.

ENRICHMENTEncourage interested students towrite their own poems about poetry. Tell students notto worry about what their feelings are—the important

thing is that they express them through poeticmeans. They may wish to include a metaphor in theirpoem, urging their reader to compare poetry tosomething, or include vivid images that express theirfeelings about poetry. Students may experiment withrhyme, rhythm, and meter if they would like, but itmight be easier for them to try their hands at writingfree verse poems like the two featured here.

“ P O E T R Y ” A N D “ H O W T O E AT A P O E M ” 615

Bitter Nest #2: Harlem Renaissance Party, 1988.Faith Ringgold. National Museum of American Art,

Washington, DC.

Don’t be polite.Bite in.Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice

that may run down your chin.It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.You do not need a knife or fork or spoonor plate or napkin or tablecloth.For there is no coreor stemor rindor pitor seedor skinto throw away. �

Eve Merriam

What is there tothrow away?


ANSWER TO GUIDED READING QUESTION

1. Students may say that there isnothing to throw away—no stem,rind, pit, seed, or skin.

CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCES.Have students take a poll oftheir class or of their school todetermine students’ attitudestoward poetry. Students mightask if students dislike poetry;like poetry, but prefer prose;prefer poetry. Students cangraph the results of their polland answer the followingquestions. How many studentsdislike poetry? Whatpercentage of students likepoetry? Do more studentsprefer poetry or prose?


MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCES.Students can dissect a fruit tofind the different partsincluding the rind or skin, thepit, or the seeds. Students canmake a fruit cup out of theirdissected fruits. Ask them tocompare and contrast theflavors, textures, appearances,and the structures of twodifferent fruits.

What ideas do you have about poetry and how to enjoy it?

SELECTIONto theRespond


AbouttheA U T H O R S

Poet, professor, lecturer, and essayist, NikkiGiovanni has never shied away from tackling toughissues in her poetry. In the 1960s, she was one ofthe most outspoken voices of the Black Rights move-ment, much of her work dealing with the politicaland social struggles of African Americans in a white-dominated culture. Other work by Giovanni focuseson family and relationships. She has also written sev-eral books for children. About poetry, Giovanni hascommented: “But poetry responds to something.You know, nobody ever got up at a funeral andquoted some novel. Because it doesn’t offer com-fort. People quote poetry. Nobody ever got marriedreading the latest rap record. They turn topoetry. So poetry has its place. It offerscomfort, it’s celebratory and joyful.” Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People,and Grand Fathers: Reminiscences, Poems,Recipes and Photos of the Keepers of OurTraditions are just two of many titles byNikki Giovanni.

Born on July 19, 1916, in Pennsylvania, EveMerriam pursued her education at fourdifferent universities. She lived her adult lifein New York City. In the 1940s, she was acopywriter and a writer for radio. Later, shebegan teaching and lecturing. Merriampublished her first book, Family Circle, in1946. Although poetry was alwaysMerriam’s first love, she is also a well-knownplaywright and fiction writer. Eve Merriamdied in 1992.


RESPOND TO THE SELECTION

You might also encourage students to discuss which poem—“Poetry” or “How to Eat a Poem”—mostappealed to them. Have them explainwhy they feel the way they do.

SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.9.1WITH ANSWERS

Checking Your Reading1. According to Giovanni, when do

poets compose? Poets composeduring the middle of the night:“sometimes after midnight orjust/before/the dawn.”

2. According to Giovanni, a poem ispure what? A poem is pure energy.

3. According to Giovanni, what is the“insistent message” that poets aretrying to say? The poet’s insistentmessage is that life is precious.

4. According to Merriam, when is apoem “ready and ripe” to eat? Apoem is ripe and ready to eat“now, whenever you are.”

5. According to Merriam, how shoulda reader “eat” a poem? Answerswill vary, but could include thatreaders should eat a poem as onewould eat fruit (“Pick it up withyour fingers and lick the juice/thatmay run down your chin”), shouldeat it completely (“For there is nocore/or stem/or rind/or pit/orseed/or skin/to throw away”), andshould eat it with gusto (“Don’tbe polite./ Bite in”).

Vocabulary in ContextFill in each blank below with the mostappropriate word from the followingWords for Everyday Use from “Poetry”and “How to Eat a Poem.” You mayhave to change the tense of the word.

wariness concede insistent

1. After he saw the snake slither intothe hole in the wall, Jocelynapproached it with __________.wariness

2. Rochelle begged her parents not tomake her go to summer school, butthey were __________. insistent

Reader’s ToolboxFill in the blanks using the followingterms. You may not use every term, and you may use some terms morethan once.

metaphor imagery free versepersonification

1. Much of a work’s __________ comes fromdescription that uses sensory details—words andphrases that describe how things look, sound,smell, taste, or feel. imagery

2. When one thing is spoken or written about as if itwere another, so that the reader can make acomparison between the two things, the author isusing __________. metaphor

SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.9.1 WITH ANSWERS (CONT.)

“ P O E T R Y ” A N D “ H O W T O E AT A P O E M ” 617

Investigate,Inquire, I m a g i n eand

Recall: GATHERING FACTS

1a. According to the speaker in “Poetry,”poetry is finding peace in what?

2a. What emotion does the speaker associatewith sitting in front of a typewriter?

3a. What is contained between the mind ofthe poet and the ear of the reader?

4a. What utensils does the speaker in “How toEat a Poem” say you do not need whilereading a poem?

Analyze: TAKING THINGS APART

5a. Examine the words and phrases Giovanniuses to describe a poet. What does she saypoets do? feel? think? What suggestionsdoes Merriam give to a poetry reader?How do these suggestions about “eating”translate into suggestions about“reading”?

Evaluate: MAKING JUDGMENTS

6a. Reflect on the ideas that “Poetry” and“How to Eat a Poem” offer the reader. Doyou agree with the messages? Why, orwhy not?

Interpret: FINDING MEANING

1b. What do you think the speaker means bythis?

2b. Why might the poet connect this emotionwith writing?

3b. Why might the speaker use this language?

4b. What does not needing special tools orutensils suggest about reading poetry?

Synthesize: BRINGING THINGS TOGETHER

5b. How does Giovanni see poets? How doGiovanni’s attitudes about poets andpoetry reflect on herself as a poet? Whatdoes Merriam believe about readingpoetry? What might Merriam’s attitudesabout reading poetry tell you about herlikes and dislikes? about her approach tonew things?

Extend: CONNECTING IDEAS

6b. How do you view poetry? What doespoetry offer you as a reader? What ideaswould you want to convey in a poem ?


ANSWERS TO INVESTIGATE,INQUIRE, IMAGINE

RECALL1a. Poetry is finding peace in a

crowded room.2a. The speaker associates loneliness

and forgetting about others withsitting in front of a typewriter.

3a. Pure energy is contained betweenthe mind of the poet and the ear ofthe reader.

4a. The speaker says you don’t need aknife, fork, spoon, plate, napkin, ortablecloth to read a poem.

INTERPRET

1b. The speaker may mean that poetryis something that can give apersonal a private feeling of peaceand inner calm in a sometimescrowded and hectic world.

2b. The speaker might connect thisfeeling with writing because writingis a solitary and private occupation;also the speaker writes best at latehours when everyone else is asleep.

3b. The speaker might use the wordenergy to describe the strongconnection or bond between thewriter of the poet and the personwho reads it to capture the forceand vitality of this invisible link.

4b. Anybody can read a poem at anytime without any specialequipment.

ANALYZE5a. Students may say Giovanni uses

words like “think our words aregolden,” “pulling loneliness aroundus,” “forgetting our lovers orchildren who are sleeping,”“ignoring the weary wariness of ourown logic,” and “poets are beyondlove.” She suggests that poets placewriting as a priority and try to forgetthe world of obligation and logic towrite. She says that poets feel lonely.Merriam suggests that readers “bitein” to poetry, eat it without utensils,and says that there are no parts ofpoetry to throw away, Students maysay this means that readers shouldbegin reading poetry withoutworrying about whether they havethe right tools or are reading theproper way because there is noproper way to read poetry.

SYNTHESIZE5b. Students may say that Giovanni sees

poets as lonely people trying toexpress to others the preciousnessof life. This reveals that Giovannifinds much beauty in the world butsometimes find that her talentseparates her from others. Merriambelieves that poetry is for everyone

ANSWERS TO INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE, IMAGINE (CONT.)

and that anyone can enjoy it. Her attitude mayreveal that Merriam values simplicity and clarity inpoetry rather than pretentiousness and deliberateobscurity. Students may say that Merriam seems tobe the type of person to jump into new experienceswholeheartedly and feet first.

EVALUATE6a. Responses will vary. Students should recognize the

central messages outlined in the response toquestion 5b, but their thoughts on these ideas willdiffer.

EXTEND6b. Responses will vary.


IMAGE AND IMAGERY. An image is language that creates aconcrete representation of an object or experience. Theimages in a literary work are referred to, when considered all together, as the work’s imagery.Look at the cluster charts you made from the model on page 613. In what ways does “Poetry”describe poems and poetry? What images does the poem offer? Why do you think these poetschose to use imagery in their poems? How does the use of imagery help the reader envision aclear picture of what each poet is trying to say?

FIGURE OF SPEECH. Figures of speech are statements that have more than a single literal mean-ing. Instead, it is a way of expressing or describing one word through another usingmetaphors. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written aboutas if it were another. This figure of speech invites you to compare the two things. Highlight thedescriptions in your cluster charts that use metaphor to describe poetry and poems. How dothe metaphors in “Poetry” work together to provide a vivid image of poetry? How doesmetaphor work in “How to Eat a Poem”? What idea does each metaphor convey? Whatmetaphors would you use to describe writing or reading poetry?

FREE VERSE. Free verse is poetry that does not use regular rhyme, rhythm, meter, or divisioninto stanzas. Get together with a partner. Take turns reading “Poetry” and “How to Eat aPoem” out loud. Listen to the rhythm created by natural speech. Then discuss the followingquestions with your partner. How effective is rhythm in the first poem? Would the speaker’sideas be more strongly conveyed using a traditional form of poetry with predictable rhythmsand rhyming patterns? Why, or why not? Answer the same questions for the second poem.

UnderstandingLiterature

art s m a r tFaith Ringgold’s (b.1930) work combines twotraditional artforms: painting and quiltmak-ing. Quilts have traditionally been used tocommemorate important events in an indi-vidual’s life. Here, Ringgold commemorateswriters of the Harlem Renaissance of the1920s and 1930s, an important period inAfrican-American culture. What handmadeobjects do you have in your home that com-memorate family history? How are theyexamples of art?

Bitter Next #2: Harlem Renaissance Party, 1988. Faith Ringgold. The National Museum of American Art,

Washington, DC.


ANSWERS TO UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE

IMAGE AND IMAGERY. The poem describespoems and poetry as motion gracefulas a fawn, gentle as a teardrop, stronglike they eye finding peace in acrowded room, as seeking controversy,and as pure energy. Images include agraceful fawn, searching for and findingpeace among a crowd, writing aftereveryone has gone to bed, and a link ofenergy between poet and reader.Students may say the poets usedimagery to provide a concrete mentalimage of something to which readersmight compare something as intangibleas poetry/ Imagery helps the reader tosee poems and poetry as being similarto things in everyday life.FIGURE OF SPEECH. Metaphors from“Poetry” include “a poem is pureenergy,” “poetry is song,” and poetry isjoy” ; metaphors from “How to Eat aPoem” include, “Bite in/Pick it up withyour fingers and lick the juice that mayrun down your chin,” “It is ready andripe now, whenever you are,” You donot need a knife,” and “there is no coreor stem . . . to throw away.” Themetaphors in “poetry” present animage of poetry as everything that isbeautiful and precious in life. The wholeof “How to eat a Poem” presents anextended metaphor encouraging thereader to compare reading a poem toeating a piece of fruit. Each metaphorconveys the idea that you do not needspecial manners or tools to read poetryand that you can take in the whole of apoem. Responses will vary.FREE VERSE. Responses will vary. Somestudents may suggest that they enjoythe lack of predictable rhythm becauseit seems more like the poem is writtenin the language of everyday speech andthat the poet is having a conversationwith them.

619

P O E M S / I M A G E R Y

What images would you use todescribe your bedroom?

• A filling station is a servicestation for motor vehicles. Inthe past, filling stationattendants pumped gas forcustomers. Most stations nowrequire patrons to fill theirown gas tanks, a change thatdownsized the number offilling station employees. Inaddition, many stations noware computerized to allowpatrons to pay with a creditcard at the tank instead ofentering the building to pay acashier.

• HISTORY CONNECTION. As thelandmark structure of a familyfarm, a barn is the symbol ofa lifestyle that goes backcenturies. Barns symbolizetradition, family, security, andliving off the land. They oftenreflect a local culture throughshape, style, and color. Ascorporate farms and high-tech production facilities takeover family farms, traditionalbarns fall into disrepair orbecome targets for wreckingballs. A number oforganizations, including theNational Trust for HistoricPreservation “Barn Again!”program, promote thepreservation andrehabilitation of historic barns.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource

IMAGE AND IMAGERY. An image is language thatcreates a concrete representation of an object or

experience. Altogether, the images in a literary work are con-sidered as the work’s imagery. Specific words and phrasesthat describe something by engaging one or more of the fivesenses are called sensory details. Which senses does Bishopengage in “Filling Station”? Which senses does Woiwodeappeal to in “A Deserted Barn”?

IRONY. Irony is a difference between appearance and reality.Words may say one thing, but they may imply somethingquite different. Look for examples of irony in “Filling Station.”What is ironic about a doily in a filling station?

PERSONIFICATION. Personification is a figure of speech inwhich something not human is described as if it were human.What is personified in “A Deserted Barn”?


Prereading

“Filling Station”and

Graphic

“A Deserted Barn”

by Elizabeth Bishop

Make a chart like the one shown. As you read the poems, fillin the chart keeping track of irony, personification, andimages you encounter.

by Larry Woiwode

“Filling Station” “A Deserted Barn”

irony

personification

image


GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• appreciate two poems that create vivid images of

places• briefly explain how filling stations and barns have

changed in recent years• define image and imagery and explain what sensory

details images appeal to

• define irony and identify irony in a poem• define personification and recognize what is being

personified as human




GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students’ charts may resemble thefollowing:“Filling Station”IRONY: the presence of a flower-embroidered doily on a taboret, orupholstered footstool, and a bigbegonia amidst the dirt and grease ifthe filling stationPERSONIFICATION: the cans softly say“ESSO-SO-SO-SO”IMAGE: dirt, oil, and grease on thestation, the people,, and the dog;the big dim doily draping a taboretbeside a big hirsute begonia“A Deserted Barn”IRONY: the deserted barn fears winterwhen its tenants leave, even thoughearlier it described these tenants as“worrying” itPERSONIFICATION: the barn is thespeaker and talks about its feelingsIMAGE: deserted barn with saggingdoor worried by termites and vistedby bids; gray shape at edge of acedar swamp; the barn under a“cold cloak of snow, and “reflections,at night, from the reflected light ofthe moon.”

READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to use sensorydetails that appeal to sight, sound,touch, taste, and smell to create avivid picture of their bedrooms.

VOCABULARY FROM THE SELECTION

extraneous saucyhigh-strung translucency

Filling Station, 1935. Walker Evans. Library of Congress.

Elizabeth Bishop



MOTIVATIONEncourage students to discusstheir thoughts and feelingsabout what is happening tomany old-fashioned fillingstations and barns, as they areforced out of business and fallinto disrepair due to lack ofmoney and too muchcompetition. Ask studentswhether learning about thissaddens them or whether theythink it is good that progress ismarching ahead. Is it possible to feelboth ways at once? Why, or whynot?

READING PROFICIENCY

Students may have difficultywith some of the words in thesepoems. Tell them to refer to theWords for Everyday Use andfootnotes for help. You may alsowish to share with them the EnglishLanguage Learning vocabularybelow. If students still have questionsabout what words or phrases meanhave them write them down andgive them to you. You might pickcertain questions to discuss andanswer anonymously if you note thatstudents are having similar problemswith their reading of these poems.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

Point out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:permeated—passed into or through

and affected every part ofmonkey suit—uniformwickerwork—thin flexible twigs or

pieces of wood woven togetherlike a basket ot make furniture

comfy—comfortabletermites—type of insect that lives in

large groups and is verydestructive to wood

starlings—type of bird with short tailand long wings

swallows—small, swift-flying birdsperch—rest or sit

SPECIAL NEEDSMake sure that studentscarefully read the Prereadingpage so they are familiar withwhat a filling station is and whyso many barns are deserted.Students may find the imagesthat accompany these poems helpfulaids in visualizing the poems. Youmay wish to encourage students tobring in other images of fillingstations and deserted barns. Askthem to choose which images bestmatch the poems.


ENRICHMENTYou might encourage students to trywriting two different paragraphs. The paragraphsshould describe two places that produce verydifferent emotions in them, with one paragraph

dedicated to each place. For example, students mightwrite one paragraph about their grandmother’s cabinby a lake where they feel loved and at ease, andanother about an exam room where they felt verystressed.

“ F I L L I N G S TAT I O N ” A N D “ A D E S E R T E D B A R N ” 621

Oh, but it is dirty!

—this little filling station,

oil-soaked, oil-permeated

to a disturbing, over-all

black translucency.

Be careful with that match!

Father wears a dirty,

oil-soaked monkey

suit

that cuts him under the arms,

and several quick and saucy

and greasy sons assist him

(it’s a family filling station),

all quite thoroughly dirty.

Do they live in the station?

It has a cement porch

behind the pumps, and on it

a set of crushed and grease-

impregnated1 wickerwork;

on the wicker sofa

a dirty dog, quite comfy.

Some comic books provide

the only note of color—

of certain color. They lie

upon a big dim doily2

draping a taboret3

(part of the set),

beside

a big hirsute begonia.4

Why the extraneous plant?

Why the taboret?

Why, oh why, the doily?

(Embroidered in daisy stitch

with marguerites,5 I think,

and heavy with gray crochet.6)

Somebody embroidered the doily.

Somebody waters the plant,

or oils it, maybe. Somebody

arranges the rows of cans

so that they softly say:

ESSO-SO-SO-SO

to high-strung automobiles.

Somebody loves us all. �

1. grease-impregnated. Being filled or saturated withgrease

2. doily. Small decorative map3. taboret. Stool4. hirsute begonia. Type of flowering shrub covered

with coarse, stiff hair5. marguerites. Type of flower6. crochet. Needlework formed with a single thread

and hooked needle

What is the fatherwearing?

Where are thecomic books?

trans • lu • cen • cy (trants lu’ sənt se) n., clearness, the quality of being transparent. The translucency of the waterallowed them to see shells and colorful fish.

sau • cy (sa�’ se) adj., amusingly bold; smart, trim. Mary’s saucy attitude sometimes offends people.

ex • tra • ne • ous (ek stra’ ne əs) adj., not forming an essential part. Alex rewrote his report, editing out all extraneous information.

high-strung (h ’ strəŋ’) adj., wound up, unquiet, agitated. Ben is a high-strung boy, who paces when he is nervous.



1. Father is wearing a dirty, oil-soakedmonkey suit that cuts him underthe arms.

2. The comic books are on top of abig doily draping a taboret, besidesa begonia.

Quotables“We lived in an old gypsy caravanbehind a filling station. My fatherowned the filling station and thecaravan and a small meadowbehind, but that was about all heowned in the world. . . . was nowa scruffy little boy as you can see,with grease and oil all over me, butthat was because I spent all day inthe workshop helping my fatherwith the automobiles.”

—Roald Dahl, fromDanny the Champion of the World

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

If students like “Filling Station”and the setting described in thispoem, you might encouragethem to read Roald Dahl’sDanny the Champion of theWorld as an independentreading project. This bookwould be a good choice for lessconfident readers because thestory is told in simple straightforwardlanguage, but the story is excitingand moving enough that even moreconfident readers might enjoy thisbook.


I am a deserted barn—my cattle robbed from me,

My horses gone,Light leaking in my sides, sun piercing my tin roof

Where it’s torn.I am a deserted barn.

Dung’s still in my gutter.It shrinks each year as side planks shrink,Letting in more of the elements,

and flies.

Worried by termites, dung beetles,Maggots, and rats,Visited by pigeons and hawks,

No longer able to say what shall enter,or what shall not,

I am a deserted barn.

I stand in Michigan,A gray shape at the edge of a cedar swamp.

Starlings come to my peak,Dirty, and perch there;

swallows light on bent Lightning rods1 whose blueGlobes have gone to

A tenant’s son and his .22.My door is torn.

It sags from rusted rails it once rolled upon,Waiting for a wind to lift it loose;

Then a bigger wind will take outMy back wall.

But winter is what I fear,when swallows and hawks

Abandon me, when insects and rodents retreat,When starlings, like the last of bad thoughts, go off,And nothing is left to fill me

Except reflections—reflections, at noon,

From the cold cloak of snow, and Reflections, at night, from the reflected light of the moon. �

Larry Woiwode

1. Lightning rods. Metallic rods onrooftops that protect a building from lightning

What does thebarn fear?

Roadside Barn, 1935. Walker Evans. Library of Congress.

What are gonefrom the barn?



1. The cattle and horses are gonefrom the barn.

2. The barn fears winter.


Ask students the followingquestions:1. With what forms of life was

the barn filled before it wasdeserted?

2. With what forms of life is thebarn filled during most of theyear now that it has been“deserted”?

3. In what ways has the barn’sfunction changed since it hasbeen deserted? In what ways hasits function stayed the same?

4. Given what you know about thebarn and its function in both thepast and during most of the yearin the present, why might thebarn fear winter? In what way isthe barn’s function or purposebeing taken away in winter?

Answers1. The barn was filled with horses

and cows before it was deserted.2. The barn is now filled with

termites, dung bettles, maggots,rats, flies, starlings, and swallows.

3. The barn is no longer home tothe farmer’s domesticatedanimals, but to wild creatures. Itsfunction has stayed the same inthat it still provides a home toliving creatures.

4. Students may say that barn fearswinter because this time of yearmakes it feel lonely and useless,as if it is dying. In winter thebarn is no longer a shelter forliving things and is left all alone.

“ F I L L I N G S TAT I O N ” A N D “ A D E S E R T E D B A R N ” 623

Describe an old building or another place that has meaning for you.



art s m a r tDuring the Depression, Walker Evans (1903–1975) took photographs in impoverished areas to showthe need for relief projects. Although their purpose was to document harsh realities, these pho-tographs have also been praised for their artistic merit. Photographs are often thought to be moretruthful than paintings, but even photographers bring their own personal feelings and point of viewto their work. What choices can a photographer make that will affect the final picture?

Born in Massachusetts in 1911, Elizabeth Bishop grew up in NewEngland and Nova Scotia. She graduated from Vassar College in 1934. As astudent at Vassar, she worked on the student newspaper and founded a lit-erary magazine. Bishop went on to travel through Europe, and she lived inNew York, in Florida, and, for 16 years, in Brazil. During her lifetime, shepublished only five volumes of poetry—four of them winning major awards,including the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1955. Bishop’s poetry has long beenadmired for its pure and precise examination of details in different corners ofthe world. In addition to writing poetry, Bishop translated a famous Braziliandiary, The Diary of Helena Morley, wrote stories for The New Yorker, andtaught at several important universities before her death in 1979.

Larry Woiwode was born in a small town in North Dakota in 1942. By themid-1960s, he was living in New York City and publishing stories and poetryin The New Yorker. Today, Woiwode is the author of numerous novels and haspublished fiction and poetry in The Atlantic, Esquire, Harper’s and The ParisReview. In 1978, Woiwode, his wife, and his four children moved back toNorth Dakota to a 160-acre farm. In 1995, he was named poet laureate ofNorth Dakota, and he received the Award of Merit Medal from the AmericanAcademy of Arts & Letters for distinction in the art of the short story.



Ask students to discuss whether oldand abandoned buildings areeyesores or whether they findsomething attractive about theseplaces.


Check Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. Who is the speaker in “A Deserted

Barn”? The barn is the speaker.2. In “A Deserted Barn,” in what state

is the barn located? The barn is inMichigan.

3. In “A Deserted Barn,” what fills thebarn in winter? In winter, the barnis filled with reflections.

4. In “Filling Station,” what providesthe only note of color? The onlycolor comes from comic books.

5. In “Filling Station,” on what is thedirty dog lying? The dirty dog lieson the wicker sofa.

Vocabulary in ContextSENTENCE COMPLETIONFill in each blank below with the mostappropriate word from the followingWords for Everyday Use from“FillingStation.” You may have to change thetense of the word.

translucency saucy extraneous

1. Maris tried to focus her picturethrough the ________ of the oldcamers lens. translucency

2. Indra packed many ________ itemsfor the trip and then complainedabout the weight of her suitcase.extraneous

Reader’s ToolboxSENTENCE COMPLETIONFill in the blanks using the followingterms. You may not use every term, andyou may use some terms more thanonce.

metaphor irony personificationsensory details

1. When something in a literary workappears different than the readerexpected, the author may be using________ . irony

2. ________ is a figure of speech inwhich something that is not humanis described with human qualitiesand traits. personification

ANSWERS TO INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE, AND IMAGINE (CONT.)

love, tenderness, and care in a place that is soextremely filthy. The last stanza is different becauseits is filled with an almost desperate loneliness andsadness, where earlier in the poem the abandonedbarn was still teeming with life and visitors.

EXTEND5b. The impact of that poem directly encourage the

reader to think about the people who love him or

her and the ways in which they show their feelingsthrough the little details of life. The ending of “ADeserted Barn” is different in that there is no directappeal to the reader; however, it is similar in thatthe ending might also cause the reader to thinkabout stages he or she will go through in his or herown life and hope that he or she doesn’t end up allalone at the end of his or her life, as does thedeserted barn.



1a. What is the only “note of color” in thefilling station?

2a. What creatures “worry” the barn?

3a. What is left to fill the barn in the winter?


4a. What details in “Filling Station” create animage of a dirty place? What contrasts tothis image are offered at the end of thepoem? What details in “A Deserted Barn”create an image of a lonely, desolate place?


5a. The last stanza of “Filling Station” provides acontrast to the rest of the poem. Describethat contrast. Similarly, the last stanza of “ADeserted Barn” causes the poem to changedirections. How is that stanza different fromthe rest of the poem?


1b. How does this note of color compare withthe rest of the filling station?

2b. How do those creatures affect the barnlater in the poem?

3b. What does the speaker mean by thisstatement?


4b. What is the speaker’s overall thoughtabout the filling station? Why does thespeaker in “A Deserted Barn” fear winter?In what way or ways do reflections fill thebarn in winter?


5b. “Filling Station” ends with a passage thatcould change the reader’s perception of theplace. How is the impact of that endingdifferent from the impact the ending of “ADeserted Barn” has on the reader? In whatway might the two endings be similar?


IMAGE AND IMAGERY. An image is language that creates aconcrete representation of an object or an experience. Animage is also the vivid mental picture created in the reader’s mind by that language. The imagesin a literary work are referred to, when considered all together, as the work’s imagery. Drawsome of the images that come to your mind as you read each poem. Exchange your pictures witha classmate. Ask him or her to look at your drawings and describe the images he or she sees. Howare these descriptions like or unlike the images you meant to represent?

IRONY. Irony is a difference between appearance and reality. What examples of irony did you findin “Filling Station”? How does irony affect the impact of the poem? What is ironic about the crea-tures in “A Deserted Barn”?

PERSONIFICATION. Personification is a figure of speech in which something not human isdescribed as if it were human. Reread “A Deserted Barn.” How would the poem change without the use of personification?



ANSWERS TO INVESTIGATE,INQUIRE, AND IMAGINE

RECALL1a. The only note of color is from

comic books.2a. Termites, dung beetles, maggots,

and rate “worry” the barn.3a. Only reflections fill the barn in

winter.

INTERPRET

1b. The rest of the station is gray andbrown from dirt and grease. Eventhe doily is gray and the begoniaspears to have been oiled ratherthan watered.

2b. In winter these creatures retreatfrom the barn, leaving it with afeeling of fear and emptiness.

3b. Students may say that reflection ormemories of its past, its formerusefulness, and the life it oncehoused.

ANALYZE4a. Images of a dirty place include “oil-

soaked, oil-permeated to adisturbing, over-all blacktranslucency,” “a dirty, oil-soakedmonkey suit,” “greasy sons,”“crushed and grease-impregnatedwickerwood,” and “dirty dog.” Theimage of a “big dim doily drapingover a taboret . . . besides a bighirsute begonia” contrasts with thisimage. Such details include, “Lightleaking in my sides, sun piercingmy tin roof,” “as side planksshrink/Letting in more of theelements, and flies,” “A gray shapeat the edge of a cedarswamp./Starlings come to mypeak,/Dirty, and perch there,”“swallows light on bent/Lightningrods,” “My door is torn/It sags fromrusted nails it once rolled upon,”and “And nothing is left to fillme/Except reflections . . . atnoon/From the cold cloak of snow,and . . . at night, from thereflected light of the moon.”

SYNTHESIZE4b. The speaker is pleasantly surprised

to see signs of beauty, and of loveand caring in the filling station. Thespeaker in “A Deserted Barn” fearswinter because it is left alone thenand filled with nothing butreflections of its former life.Reflections off the snow and fromthe moon fill the barn, but the barnis also filled with reflections, ormemories, about its former tenantsand usefulness.

EVALUATE5a. Students may say the contrast

comes from the surprising note of


IMAGE AND IMAGERY. Students’ drawings will vary, butyou may wish to have students compare drawings insmall groups, so they will have a broader group ofpictures to think about when comparing andcontrasting their drawings to others.IRONY. Students may say that the note of care and lovein the dirty filling station is ironic because these ratherfeminine and frilly objects contradict the reader’sexpectations of what a filthy filling station should be

like. Irony helps the reader to see past the dirt to thefeelings these people have about their work and home.Students may say it is ironic that the barn is lonelywhen the creatures that “worry” it disappear. Thiscontradicts readers’ expectations because they mightassume the barn would be pleased to rid itself oftermites, rats, maggots, and dung beetles.



“ T H E / S K Y / WA S ” 625

P O E M / S H A P E

How would you complete thefollowing sentence? The skywas ______________.

• E. E. Cummings is famousfor breaking the rules ofgrammar and punctuation.For example, he alwaysspelled his name in alllowercase letters (e. e.cummings). In addition, histitles use only lowercaseletters. What other rulesdoes he break in this poem?What does he achieve bydoing so?

• SCIENCE CONNECTION.Kaleidoscopes are opticaldevices that use mirrors andbrightly colored beads tocreate colorful patterns. Theviewer looks through a holein one end of a tube andlight enters the other endthrough translucent glass orplastic. The light reflectsimages—created by apattern of the beads—off themirrors inside the tube. Asthe tube rotates, the beadsmove and change thepattern. Some kaleidoscopeshave transparent glass onthe outside of thenonviewing end, allowingthe images to be seen fromthe outside as well.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource

CONCRETE POEM. A concrete poem, or shapepoem, is one with a shape that suggests its subject.

Poets develop concrete poems as visual images of the wordsthey contain. Concrete poems can convey powerful imagesusing few words. What image does the shape of “the / sky / was”suggest?

IMAGERY. Taken together, the images in a poem or passage arecalled its imagery. What imagery is in the following poem?


Prereading

“the / sky / was”

Graphic

by E. E. Cummings

The following are examples of simple concrete poems. Using asimple word or passage, create a concrete poem of your own.

BALLOONS

RACE WITH THE WIND

DOWN THEH

ILL


GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• have a positive experience reading a concrete poem• define concrete poem and explain how shape

contributes to the meaning of such a poem• define imagery and identify imagery in a poem• research an author

• identify the functions of sentences• read poetry aloud• interview a poet• write a business letter• create imagery through art• identify synonyms




GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students simple concrete poems willvary. Other possibilities includeexamples like the following:

Echo . . . echo . . . echo . . . echo . . . echo

oro

l st piec s of a puz le ez

READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to go beyondcommon descriptions such as blue orcloudy to come up with their ownunique statements.

ANSWERS TO UNDERSTANDINGLITERATURE (CONT.)

PERSONIFICATION. Without thepersonification, it would be nearimpossible for the reader to get insightinto the feelings of a deserted barn; thereader would probably get little morethan a description withoutpersonification and would have to inferthe emotion.


luminous

What is the loco-motive spouting?

Blaue Reiter Almanac, 1911. Wassily Kandinsky.

thesky

wascan dy luminous

ediblespry

pinks shylemonsgreens coo l chocolates.

un der,a lo

como

tive s pouting

violets �

E. E. Cummings

art s m a r tWassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) was aRussian painter who is credited bymany scholars as being the firstabstract artist. Abstract art is also called“nonrepresentational art” because it isnot meant to represent actual things. Inwhat ways is abstract art like or not likeconcrete poetry?

lu • mi • nous (lu�’ mə nəs) adj., emitting or reflecting steady, glowing light. The still lake was luminous under the sunset.



MOTIVATIONStudents may especially enjoythe opportunity to interview apoet in the Media Literacyactivity. Students might getmore responses and interviewsgranted by using e-mail tocontact and even interview apoet. Students might send aninitial e-mail to a poet askingthem whether it might bepossible to interview him or her,and asking the poet if he or shewould prefer a phone call at atime convenient to him or heror an e-mailed list of interviewquestions the poet can respond to athis or her leisure.

READING PROFICIENCYSome students may find thispoem difficult to read becauseof Cummings’s unusual use ofcapitalization and punctuation,but also because he oftenbreaks apart words, so thephrase “cool chocolates,” appearswith a space between the “coo” andthe “l,” and chocolates is brokenover three lines. Encourage studentsto write out this poem in a line ortwo, reassembling words andphrases as necessary. You might alsohelp students to this by writing onthe board, “The sky was candy,luminous, edible—spry pinks, shylemons, greens, cool chocolates—under a locomotive spoutingviolets.” Then ask students to goback and reread the poem. Tell themto think about why Cummings choseto capitalize, punctuate, and breakwords as he does.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:edible—fit to be eatenspry—full of life; active; nimblelocomotive—engine on wheels that

pushes or pulls a railroad trainspouting—stream, jet, or discharge

of liquid or airviolets—type of bluish purple flower,

also this color itself

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents may have difficultywith this poem for many of the samereasons less confident readers will.The above activity will be beneficial



1. It is spouting “violets.”

for special needs students as well as less confidentreaders. In addition, however, special needs studentsmay have difficulty determining what the shape of thispoem is supposed to represent. You might bring inpictures of old-fashioned trains. Tell students thatlocomotives, or train engines, used to be powered bysteam and trains would have a smoke stack thatwould discharge smoke.

ENRICHMENTEncourage interested students toexpand on the Graphic Organizer activity by writinglonger, more complex concrete poems. For example,students might write a poem about a river in a river’sshape.


“ T H E / S K Y / WA S ” 627

Describe a clear sky on a summer evening.


AbouttheA U T H O REdward Estlin Cummings(1894–1962), the son of a distin-guished clergyman, was born inCambridge, Massachusetts.Cummings attended HarvardCollege, where he studied literatureand classical and modern lan-guages. During World War I, he vol-unteered to serve as an ambulancedriver in France and was impris-oned by French authorities for writ-ing letters that were critical of thewar. On his release and return tothe United States, he was draftedinto the army. His imprisonment inFrance provided material for his firstbook, The Enormous Room, published in 1922.

Cummings challenged popular beliefs and habits in his thought and in his style ofwriting. His unique style is most evident in his breaking of traditional rules of capitaliza-tion, punctuation, spelling, and grammar. In keeping with this style, he even signed hisname with lowercase letters: ee cummings. In the beginning, critics did not knowwhether to reject or applaud his work. The most sincere form of flattery is imitation,however, and many poets imitated the work of Cummings. At the time of his death in1962, Cummings was one of the most popular poets in the nation, second only toRobert Frost. In addition to writing poetry, Cummings was a talented playwright and awell-regarded painter.



You might also ask students todescribe the colors they see in thesky and clouds at sunset or atsunrise.


Checking Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. What is spouting violets? A

locomotive is spouting violets.2. Which color is spry? The color pink

is spry.3. What is made of candy? The sky is

made of candy.

Reader’s ToolboxSHORT ANSWER1. What is a concrete poem? A

concrete poem is one with ashape that suggests its subject.

2. What is imagery? A poem’simagery is the overall picturecreated by the images in a poemor passage.



1a. What appears edible?

2a. What is creating the colors?


3a. Identify all the words that describe the sky.What do they have in common? How dothey differ from one another? How manyare adjectives? How many are nouns?


4a. How well does this poem describe the skythe speaker sees? How well does itdescribe what a train’s smokestack emits?


1b. Why does the speaker describe this thingas edible?

2b. Why does the speaker reveal this at theend of the poem?


3b. Paraphrase this poem using simplelanguage and simple sentence structure.


4b. Describe the sky as it is today. Include, ifyou wish, the influences of clouds, sun,rain, snow, smoke, or whatever you thinkaffects the way you see the sky.


CONCRETE POEM. A concrete poem, or shape poem, isone with a shape that suggests its subject. Poets developconcrete poems as visual images of the words they contain. Concrete poems can convey pow-erful images using few words. How could you tell what this poem was about before reading it?How might a concrete poem surprise the reader?

IMAGERY. Taken together, the images in a poem or passage are called its imagery. How doesthe shape of the poem influence the poem’s imagery?


Writer’s Journal1. Write a short poem in free verse for a celebration honoring an historic place

or building.

2. Write a letter to Nikki Giovanni about “Poetry” or to Eve Merriam about “How to Eat aPoem,” sharing your thoughts about the poem you just read.

3. Write instructions for an artist who plans to paint a picture of the deserted barn withoutseeing it or seeing a photo of it. Describe the barn in precise, detailed language.



RECALL1a. The sky appears edible.2a. A locomotive “spouting violets” is

causing the colors.

INTERPRET1b. The speaker describes the sky as

edible because it is filled with thecolors of candy.

2b. Students may say the speakerreveals this at the end of the poemto increase the reader’s sense ofcuriosity.

ANALYZE

3a. Such words include candy,luminous, edible, pinks, shy lemons,greens, and cool chocolates.Students may say that many ofthem are colors and that many ofthem describe candy flavors. Theydiffer in that some like luminousdescribe a shining appearancerather than a specific color or taste,while others describe a quality likeshy. Four of these words areadjectives, and five are nouns.

SYNTHESIZE3b. Responses will vary. Possible

responses are given. Students maysay something akin to, “The skylooked like candy, shiny and goodenough to eat because of the pinks,lemons, greens, and chocolatecolors that surround a locomotive’ssmokestack which is spoutingcolored smoke.”

EVALUATE4a. Responses will vary. Students may

say this poem vividly captures thesky the speaker sees; they may beless sure how well it describes atrain’s smokestack, especially if theyhave never seen one.


SHAPE. Students might say that they did not know whatthe shape of this poem was supposed to represent untilthe poem’s end when it becomes clear that the shaperepresents the colored smoke rising from thesmokestack of a locomotive. This is a sort of surprise forthe reader because it explains the shape of the poem

to the reader and may answers questions in his or hermind.IMAGERY. Students may say the shape of the poemcreates a visual image of the shape of the smoke andcolors the speaker describes in the poem.


“ T H E / S K Y / WA S ” 629

SkillBuildersStudy and Research RESEARCHING POETS. Using libraryresources and the Internet, researchthe life of one of these poets—NikkiGiovanni, Eve Merriam, Elizabeth Bishop, LarryWoiwode, or E. E. Cummings. Find answers tothe following questions. Where did the poetgrow up? What was his or her childhood like?What occupations has he or she had? What elsehas he or she written? Confirm the facts by find-ing each piece of data in at least two sources.Organize your findings in a brief report.

Language, Grammar,and StyleFUNCTIONS OF SENTENCES. All sen-tences are one of the following

types: declarative, imperative, interrogative, orexclamatory. A declarative sentence tells something ormakes a statement.

EXAMPLE Joe goes camping with his cousinsevery weekend.

An imperative sentence gives a command ormakes a request.

EXAMPLE Pack your own lunch for school.An interrogative sentence asks a question andis followed by a question mark.

EXAMPLE Have you ever seen a dirigible?An exclamatory sentence expresses strongemotion and ends with an exclamation point.

EXAMPLE I can’t believe you ate the last pieceof pie!

Look back at the poems in this section. Findexamples of each type of sentence, and writethem on your own paper. Then read the fol-lowing passages and modify each sentence asdirected.

1. Change each declarative sentence to animperative sentence, directing someone elseto do the tasks described.At 7:30 I get my bicycle from the garage. Iput on my backpack and bike helmet. Iride my bike to the intersection of ThirdStreet and Main. I turn right on Main andgo three blocks to James Street. I take aleft on James Street, turn into the schoolparking lot, and lock my bike in thebicycle rack.

2. Change these declarative sentences tointerrogative sentences.You were upset. You either dropped thevase or threw the ball at the vase to breakit.

3. Change these declarative sentences toexclamatory sentences.I am so happy to see you. I love my newshoes. I can’t wait to show you around thetown.

Speaking andListeningREADING POETRY ALOUD. Find fouror five poems written by the

same author. Pretend you are that poet givinga reading at a local bookstore. Practice read-ing your selections to discover how the poemsounds best. Then read your selections to asmall group of four or five classmates. If possi-ble, tape record or videotape your session toshare with the rest of the class.


ANSWERS TO SKILL BUILDERS

Study and ResearchStudents may use the informationcontained in the About the Authorsections in this book as a starting pointfor their research. Have studentspresent to you a print-out or aphotocopy of the Web site or articlethey used. They should also present youwith a list of their sources. If they areuncertain how to assemble such a list,refer them to the Language Arts Survey,“Documenting Sources.”

Language, Grammar, and StyleStudents’ examples of sentences willvary, but they may include thefollowing:declarative: A poem is pure energyhorizontally contained between themind of the poet and the ear of thereader.imperative: Bite in.interrogative: Why, oh why, the doily?exclamatory: Oh, but it is dirty!1. At 7:30 get your bicycle from the

garage. Put on your backpack andhelmet. Ride your bike to theintersection of Third Street andMain. Turn right on Main and gothree blocks to James Street. Take aleft on James Street, turn into theschool parking lot, and lock yourbike in the bicycle rack.

2. Were you upset? Did you drop thevase or throw the ball at the vase tobreak it?

3. I am so happy to see you! Look atmy new shoes! I can’t wait to showyou around the town!

Speaking and ListeningFor information on preparing anddelivering readings of poems, referstudents to the Language Arts Survey,“Oral Interpretation.” You may wish tohave students deliver their readingsbefore their classmates rather than onvideo or audio tape. Tell students thatthey do not have to memorize thepoems, but they should be familiarenough with them to be able to look attheir audience. They may find it helpfulto write out the poems or makephotocopies of them and mark themup with notes about what words toemphasize and how they want todeliver certain lines.

P O E M

630 U N I T N I N E

ALLITERATION AND ASSONANCE. Alliteration is therepetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings

of syllables, as in Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed sylla-bles that end in different consonant sounds, as in down andout or asleep under a tree. Alliteration and assonance help tietogether words in a line or in a series of lines. Look for exam-ples of both in this poem.

RHYTHM. Rhythm is the pattern of beats in a line of poetry orprose. The meter of a poem is its overall rhythm. Rhythm andmeter are determined by the pattern of stresses. Stress is theamount of emphasis given to a syllable. Scanning, or findingthe meter of a poem, is done by marking each strong syllablewith a straight mark (/) and each weak syllable with a dippedmark (˘). Read “I to My Perils” aloud several times, focusing onrhythm. Look for a pattern of weak and strong stresses. Seethe scanned stanza in the graphic organizer below. Writedown the second stanza of the poem and mark the strong andweak syllables. Is the rhythm pattern the same as the firststanza? Write the remaining stanzas and scan them. Do all thestanzas have the same meter?

Prereading

“I to My Perils”Describe yourself as apessimist or an optimist.

• Like many poets, A. E.Housman was interested inappealing to the emotionsof the reader, rather thanthe intellect of the reader,with his poetry. Many ofHousman’s poems,including “I to My Perils,”are pessimistic—assumingthat evil outweighs goodand emphasizing negativeconditions and outcomes.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource


by A. E. Housman

Graphic

I t o m y p e r i l s

O f c h e a t a n d c h a r m e r

C a m e c l a d i n a r m o u r

B y s t a r s b e n i g n

‘ ˘ ˘ ‘ ˘

˘ ‘ ˘ ‘ ˘

˘ ‘ ˘ ‘ ˘

˘ ‘ ˘ ‘





GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Hope lies to mortalsand most believe her,But man’s deceiverWas never mine.The thoughts of othersWere light and fleeting,Of lovers’ meetingOr luck or fame.Mine were of trouble,And mine were steady,So I was readyWhen trouble came.

READER’S JOURNAL

Ask students if they hope to changethe way they are to become moreoptimistic or more pessimistic. Whydo they want to make this change?

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• identify with a speaker’s feelings• define alliteration and assonance and identify the use

of these techniques in a poem• define rhythm and scan a poem to determine

patterns of weakly and strongly stressed syllables

� ˘ ˘ � ˘˘ � ˘ � ˘˘ � ˘ � ˘˘ �˘ �˘ � ˘ �˘˘ � ˘ � ˘

˘ � ˘ � ˘˘ � ˘ �

� ˘ ˘ � ˘˘ � ˘ � ˘˘ � ˘ � ˘˘ � ˘ �


benign peril

per • il (per’ əl) n., exposure to the risk of being hurt; danger. The excitement of mountain climbing outweighs the perils.

be • nign (bi nin’) adj., kindly; nonthreatening. I was scared to go to the new school, but the benign atmosphere made iteasy to relax and meet people.

I to my perils

Of cheat and charmer

Came clad in armour

By stars benign.

Hope lies to mortals

And most believe her,

But man’s deceiver

Was never mine.

The thoughts of others

Were light and fleeting,

Of lovers’ meeting

Or luck or fame.

Mine were of trouble,

And mine were steady,

So I was ready

When trouble came. �

“ I T O M Y P E R I L S ” 631

The Knight, 1513. Albrecht Durer.

What or whom domost mortalsbelieve?

Of what are thespeaker’s thoughts?

A. E. Housman



MOTIVATIONEncourage students to hold aninformal class debate onwhether the speaker’s attitudein this poem makes him or herhappy. Divide students intotwo groups and assign them aposition to support in relationto this question. Tell studentsthat they must try to supporttheir assigned position in thedebate even if they do notagree with it personally, as thisis an exercise in supporting anidea not in personal expression.

READING PROFICIENCY

Students may benefit fromlistening to an audiotape ofthis poem being read aloud.(Doing so will also help themto hear the rhythm of thepoem.) Have students followalong in their books as they listen.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:clad—clothed; dressedmortals—humans who must

eventually diefleeting—passing swiftly; not lasting

SPECIAL NEEDSTell students to focus on theGuided Reading questions and theRecall questions in the Investsigate,Inquire, and Image section. Studentsmay feel more comfortable formingsmall groups to discuss their answersand thoughts about higher levelthinking questions beforeparticipating in a whole classdiscussion.

ENRICHMENTEncourage students to write anessay in response to thefollowing statement: Today’syouth are very pessimistic aboutthe future. Students may agreeor disagree with this statement,but they should support theiropinions with reasons andevidence drawn from their ownexperiences and observations.


1. Most mortals believe in hope.2. The speaker’s thoughts were of

trouble.

With what thoughts and emotions do you prepare for a new situation or an important event?


AbouttheA U T H O R


Alfred Edward Housman was born in Englandin 1859, the oldest of seven children in the family.Housman’s younger brother Laurence became afamous playwright, his sister Clemence a writer ofshort stories and novels. Housman became one ofthe most esteemed classical scholars of his timeand a respected poet. He first attendedBromsgrove School, a school that stressed Greekand Latin studies. In 1877, he received a scholar-ship to St. John’s College in Oxford, where he con-tinued his study of the classical languages.Although he was an excellent student while atOxford, he left without graduating because hefailed his final examination. A year later hereturned to Oxford to finish his degree. For thenext several years, he worked in the London PatentOffice, all the while publishing articles for classicaljournals. In 1892, based on the merit of his pub-lished articles, he was appointed Professor of Latinat University College London. He published his firstand most famous book of poems, A Shropshire Lad,in 1896. The anthology has 63 poems based ondifficulties he had faced in life, and the book hasn’tbeen out of print since its publication.



Ask students consider whether apositive attitude can lead to positiveaffects and whether a negativeattitude can lead to negative effects.

SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.9.7 WITH ANSWERS

Check Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER

1. The speaker comes to his perilsclad in what? The speaker is cladin armour, or armor.

2. Who lies to mortals? Hope lies tomortals.

3. Does the speaker believe the liar?No, the speaker doesn’t believethe liar.

4. What are the thoughts of otherslike? The thoughts of others arelight and fleeting.

5. How are the speaker’s thoughtsdifferent from the thoughts ofothers? The speaker’s thoughtsare of trouble.

Vocabulary in ContextSENTENCE COMPLETION

Fill in each blank below with the mostappropriate word from the followingWords for Everyday Use from “I to MyPerils.” You may have to change thetense of the word.

peril benign fleeting

1. Astronauts face great ________ intheir quest to explore space. peril

2. Alexander appreciated the________ atmosphere in thedoctor’s office. benign

Reader’s ToolboxMATCHING

a. rhythm b. meter c. stressd. alliteration e. assonance

________ 1. the pattern of beats in aline of poetry or prose A

In the following lines of poetry:

Softly sleeping.Sweetly dreaming.

________ 2. What is demonstrated inthe first line? D

________ 3. What is demonstrated inthe second line? E

“ I T O M Y P E R I L S ” 633



1a. What is “man’s deceiver”?

2a. What are the thoughts of others like?


3a. Compare the ways in which the speakerdescribes himself with the ways he or shedescribes others. What words or phrases tellwhether the speaker looks upon himself orherself and others with favor or disfavor?


4a. Does the speaker offer valid reasons for hisor her beliefs? Why, or why not? Whatexperiences might have led the speaker toembrace his or her way of looking atthings?


1b. Why might the speaker shun this?

2b. How does the speaker view these thoughts?


3b. Does the speaker think his or her views arecorrect, or does he or she think othershave the correct perspective? Explain youranswer.


4b. What experiences would lead you to lookat things in the same way the speakerdoes? What experiences would lead youto look at things differently?

ALLITERATION AND ASSONANCE. Alliteration is the repeti-tion of consonant sounds at the beginnings of syllables.Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonantsounds. How do alliteration and assonance combine with rhyme to tie together the words andlines in this poem? What effect would eliminating alliteration and assonance have on the poem?Find out for yourself by changing the words in the poem that create these sound patterns.

RHYTHM. Rhythm is the pattern of beats in a line of poetry or prose. The overall rhythm of apoem is its meter. Rhythm and meter are determined by the pattern of stresses. Stress is theamount of emphasis given to a syllable. Do all the stanzas in “I to My Perils” have the samemeter? Look back at your scanning of the poem to determine your answer. What patterns ofstresses do you find?




RECALL1a. “Man’s deceiver” is hope.2a. The thoughts of others are “light

and fleeting.” They think ofmeeting a lover or achieving luck orfame.

INTERPRET1b. The speaker might shun hope

because hope can sometimes leafto disappointment when hopesaren’t realized.

2b. The speaker seems to feel thathope about loved ones, luck, orfame are doomed to lead todisappointment.

ANALYZE

3a. Students may note the speakerdescribes his or her pessimism as apositive and noble thing—as aknight’s armor. The speaker seemsto look down on people who hopeand congratulate him- or herself inline such as “man’s deceiver/Wasnever mine,” and “I wasready/When trouble came.”

SYNTHESIZE3b. Most students will say that the

speaker believes his or her viewsare correct and that other peopleare being deceived by false hope.

EVALUATE4a. Most students will say the speaker

does not offer valid reasons insupport of his or her beliefs.Students may say the speaker mayhave once been more hopeful, butwas disappointed in one or all ofhis or her hopes, leading to his orher present pessimism.

EXTEND4b. Responses will vary. Students may

say that too many negativeexperiences might give them anoutlook similar to the speaker’s,while positive experiences mightlead to a viewpoint very differentfrom the speaker’s.


ALLITERATION AND ASSONANCE. Studentsmay note that alliteration in lines like“cheat and charmer,” and assonancelike “armour/By stars,” make the poemseem to flow together, from one line tothe next. These techniques give thepoem cohesiveness and a musicalquality. Students may say thateliminating the alliteration and

ANSWERS TO UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE (CONT.)

assonance makes the poem seem choppier and lessmusical.

RHYTHM. Students may say that while every stanzadoes not match the others perfectly, there is a distinctpattern of rhythm in each stanza. For example,students may say that the first line of every stanza

(with the exception of the first line of the last stanzawhich carries a slight variation) has a pattern ofstrongly stressed syllable, followed by two weaklystressed syllables, followed by one strongly and oneweakly stressed syllables. The rhythm of othercorresponding lines in stanzas is similar as well, withsome quite minor exceptions.

P O E M / S O U N D

634 U N I T N I N E

ONOMATOPOEIA. Onomatopoeia is the use ofwords or phrases like meow or beep that sound like

what they name. Look for examples of onomatopoeia in“Blackberry Eating.”

ALLITERATION. Alliteration is the repetition of consonantsounds at the beginnings of syllables. Tongue twisters demon-strate an exaggerated use of alliteration, as in She sells seashellsby the seashore. What examples of alliteration can you find inthe poem?

Prereading

“Blackberry Eating”

Describe your favorite foodand how you eat it.

• SCIENCE CONNECTION. Severalvarieties of blackberriesgrow in the United States.Some are native to NorthAmerica and have grownwild for centuries. Otherswere brought from Europe,where they originally grewwild as well. Berry breedersand farmers now cultivatemany hybrid types ofblackberries.

• Blackberries grow on vine-like bushes, many of whichhave sharp thorns. Thedifferent varieties ofblackberries ripen atdifferent times, althoughmany are ready to eat in latesummer. Berries ripen earlierin southern climates thanthey do in the north.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource


by Galway Kinnell

GraphicThink about different foods you associate with certain times ofthe year, special events, or holidays. Copy this graphic orga-nizer onto your own paper and add your ideas to each season.Be sure to indicate specific holidays or events with which youassociate certain foods or meals.

winter spring

summerautumn





READER’S JOURNAL

Also ask students to write about thetime of year they associate with thisfood.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• enjoy a lyric poem that uses sound techniques• define onomatopoeia and recognize examples of this

sound technique• define alliteration and identify examples of this

technique in a poem

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Responses will vary. Possible responsesare given. Students may associatefresh vegetables like asparagus withspring. If they are Christian andcelebrate Easter, they may associatespring with a meal of ham or lamb.Students may associate summer withfoods like fresh fruit, barbecues,cookouts, and ice cream. Studentsmay associate autumn with foodslike pumpkin pie, squash, and turkey.Students may associate winter withrich hearty foods like roasts andpotatoes. Students responses willdefinitely depend on their familybackground and cultural tradition.


splurge

splurge (splərj’) v., indulge oneself extravagantly or spend a lot of money. When Dad got a raise, he splurged and took usall out for a fancy dinner.

I love to go out in late September

among the fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries

to eat blackberries for breakfast,

the stalks very prickly, a penalty

they earn for knowing the

black art

of blackberry-making; and as I stand among them

lifting the stalks to my mouth, the ripest berries

fall almost unbidden1 to my tongue,

as words sometimes do, certain

peculiar words

like strengths or squinched,

many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps,

which I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well

in the silent, startled, icy, black language

of blackberry-eating in late September. �

“ B L A C K B E R R Y E AT I N G ” 635

For what are theprickly stalks apenalty?

What sometimesfalls to the speaker’stongue like ripeberries?

Galway Kinnell

1. unbidden. Not asked or invited



MOTIVATIONStudents might enjoy talkingabout and sharing theirresponses to the GraphicOrganizer activity on page 670.Ask students to share theirfavorite seasonal foods. Whatdifferent foods does the class enjoyin different seasons? Are there anyfoods that most students associatewith a season?

READING PROFICIENCYEncourage students to formpairs with a reading partner.They should take turns readingthis poem to each other aloudand closing their eyes andlistening. Then have studentsgo back and read the poem silentlyon their own.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:stalks—stems of a plantpenalty—punishment, unfortunate

consequence as the result of anact or condition

peculiar—particular; unique; specialsquinched—puckered or screwed up

the facestartled—surprised, frightened

SPECIAL NEEDS

Students who have neverpicked blackberries or eatenthem may have a hard timeunderstanding why the speakerdescribes the stalks of these plants asa prickly penalty or why the speakerthinks of the word squinched whenhe or she eats this fruit. You mightbring in some blackberries forstudents to sample, or you might letstudents know that blackberries canbe tart and that there are thorns onblackberry bushes. Encouragestudents to focus on answering theGuided Reading questions and theRecall questions in the Investigate,Inquire, and Image section beforediscussing the more challengingquestions as a group.



1. The prickly stalks are a penalty forthe plant’s knowing the “black artof blackberry-making.”

2. Peculiar words like strengths orsquinched fall to the speaker’stongue like ripe berries.

ENRICHMENTYou might encourage interestedstudents to write lyric poems about theirfavorite foods. You might have them beginthis assignment by having them freewrite

lists of words or images that come to mind when theythink about their favorite food. You might havestudents compile their poems into an anthologycalled “Recipes for Happiness” or something similar.

What is your favorite season of the year, and why?


Galway Kinnell was born inProvidence, Rhode Island, in1927. He was educated atPrinceton University and at theUniversity of Rochester in NewYork. Kinnell began publishingpoetry in magazines and antholo-gies in the early 1950s, and hisfirst collection of poems, What aKingdom It Was, was published in1960. In 1983, he received thePulitzer Prize for poetry forSelected Poems. About writingpoetry, Kinnell has said, “When Ifound the world of poets, I real-ized I was not so odd after all.And when, one day, a teacher mentioned thatRobert Frost was living and writing on a farmonly a few hundred miles north of Pawtucket,

I realized that poetry was not an extinct art,that poets could still exist in the world. And Istarted to write poetry.”

AbouttheA U T H O R


GraphicCreate a list of descriptive words under the heading berries and another under the headingwords/language, as shown in the example here. Complete the lists.

berries words/language

fat many-letteredicy black



You might also ask students todiscuss what seasons they don’t likeand why.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Under berries, students may list thefollowing words: overripe, black,stalks very prickly, black art ofblackberry-making, and ripest. Underwords/language students might listthe following words: peculiar,strengths, squinched, one-syllabledlumps, silent, startled, icy, black.


Checking Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. When does the speaker like to eat

blackberries? The speaker likes toeat blackberries in late September.

2. What are the stalks like? The stalksare prickly.

3. Where is the speaker as he or sheeats the blackberries? The speakerlikes to eat blackberries whilestanding among blackberrybushes.

4. What types of words “fall almostunbidden to my tongue”? Peculiarwords, “many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps,” fall almostunbidden to the speaker’s tongue.

5. What is “silent, startled, icy, black”?The speaker is describing thelanguage of blackberry eating.


a. repetition of consonant soundsb. words or phrases that sound like

what they namec. repetition of vowel sounds in

stressed syllables that end indifferent consonant sounds

d. pattern of beats in a line of poetry

________ 1. What is onomatopoeia? b________ 2. What is alliteration? a

VocabularySHORT ANSWERWrite a sentence that correctlyillustrates the meaning of the wordsplurge. Responses will vary.

“ B L A C K B E R R Y E AT I N G ” 637



1a. What are the blackberries like in lateSeptember?

2a. How does the speaker describe “certainpeculiar words”? What does the speakerdo with those words?


3a. Identify the author’s descriptive words andphrases in the poem. Use the graphicorganizer at left to separate the wordsthat describe the berries from those thatdescribe “certain peculiar words” and the“language of blackberry eating.”


4a. Critique this poem’s use of imagery.Explain whether the writer’s descriptionscapture the essence of “blackberry-eatingin late September.”


1b. How would the fruit be different earlier inthe year? What makes this time of yearspecial for eating blackberries?

2b. How do these words apply to theblackberries?


3b. Examine your graphic organizer. Explainhow the descriptions of blackberries couldapply to “certain peculiar words” and the“language of blackberry eating” and howthe descriptions of those words couldapply to blackberries.


4b. How would you use this description tocommunicate in writing about a favoritefood? Write a poem using descriptivelanguage and imagery to show why andhow you enjoy a favorite food.

ONOMATOPOEIA. Onomatopoeia is the use of words orphrases like meow or beep that sound like what theyname. Which words and/or phrases in the poem are examples of onomatopoeia? Which wordis both an example of onomatopoeia and a blend, or portmanteau?

ALLITERATION. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of syllables.Where in the poem did you find alliteration? What consonants are repeated in those words?




RECALL1a. The blackberries are “fat, overripe,

icy, black.”2a. The speaker describes “certain

peculiar words,“ like strengths orsquinched as falling unbidden on hisor her tongue. The speaker saysthat he or she “squeeze[s],squinch[es] open, and splurge[s]”these words.

INTERPRET

1b. Students might say that earlier inthe year the berries might be verysmall and underripe or too tart. Theberries might also be warm ratherthan icy and paler in color due totheir immaturity. This time of year isspecial for eating blackberriesbecause the blackberries are at theirpeak of intense flavor and ripeness.

2b. These words describe the way thespeaker eats blackberries and theirpotent tart flavor and its effect onthe eater.

ANALYZE3a. Students’ graphic organizers may

resemble that shown on theprevious page.

SYNTHESIZE3b. Students will note that the speaker

describes both the blackberriesusing the same terms he later usesto describe the language ofblackberry eating, including icy andblack. Students will note thespeaker describes “certain peculiar”words as if these syllable wereblackberries falling on his or hertongue. The speaker’s descriptionof what he or she does with thesewords—squeeze, squinch open,and splurge—is also described interms that could be applied to theeating of blackberries.

EVALUATE

4a. Responses will vary. Most studentswill say that the speaker doesvividly capture the essence of“blackberry-eating in lateSeptember.” The author doesthrough by using vivid images thatappeal to the reader’s sense ofsight, touch, and taste.

EXTEND4b. Responses will vary. Students should

use descriptive language todescribe a favorite food.

ONOMATOPOEIA. Students may say that squinch andsquinched are examples of onomatopoeia. Squinch isalso an example of a blend of squint and pinch.ALLITERATION. Students may note the followingexamples of alliteration: “black blackberries . . .

breakfast,” “prickly, a penalty,” “strength orsquinched,” “squeeze, squinch open, and splurgewell/in the silent, startled . . . September.” Studentsmay note the consonants b, p, and s are repeated.


P O E M S

638 U N I T N I N E

REPETITION. Repetition is more than one use of asound, word, or group of words. Repetition is a

tool that works to create or enhance rhythm. It also gives thesense that the speaker is dwelling on the repeated idea. Whatwords and phrases are repeated in “Forgotten Language”? in“Hector the Collector”?

RHYME. Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends ofwords. Rhyme can enhance the musical quality of a poem.Many poems reveal a pattern of rhyming words that appear atthe ends of lines. These are called end rhymes. Internal rhymesare rhymes within the line. “Hector the Collector” has bothend rhymes and internal rhymes. As you read that poem, iden-tify examples of each type of rhyme.

Prereading

If you could communicatewith any element in nature,what would it be? Why?

• “Forgotten Language” and“Hector the Collector” areboth from Where theSidewalk Ends: The Poemsand Drawings of ShelSilverstein. First published in1974, the book quicklygained popularity. It is nowconsidered an important—and fun—part ofcontemporary poetry.

• Many literary works studythe theme ofcommunicating withelements in nature, such asanimals, plants, and theforces that create weather.Some indigenous groupsbelieve that every animal,plant, and rock has a spiritand that these spirits cancommunicate with people.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource


by Shel Silverstein

GraphicIn addition to rhyme and repetition, “Hector the Collector”(on page 640) has other sound devices. Use this chart to listexamples of alliteration and assonance in the poem.

ALLITERATION ASSONANCE

Pieces out of picture puzzles bits of string

broken bricks Hector called to all the people

“FORGOTTEN LANGUAGE”and

“Hector the Collector”




• Selection Worksheet 9.6• Selection Check Test 4.9.11• Selection Test 4.9.12• Speaking and Listening Resource

4.19

READER’S JOURNAL

You might also ask students to writeabout an item that they treasurewhich might look worthless toothers.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• enjoy reading two poems that make use of rhyme

and repetition• define repetition and identify repeated elements in

poems• define rhyme and point to examples of end rhyme

and internal rhyme

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Responses will vary, but studentsmay list the following examples ofalliteration in their charts: Pieces outof picture puzzles, Twist of wires,worn-out tires, Paper bags andbroken bricks, Gatlin’ guns, beltsthat had no buckles, broken bottles,cups with cracks, glistenin’ gold,treasure trunk, silly sightless.Students may include the followingexamples of assonance in theircharts: bits of string; boats thatwouldn’t float; rings…fingers; andmodels…bottles.

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,

Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,

Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,

And shared a conversation with the housefly

in my bed.

Once I heard and answered all the questions

of the crickets,

And joined the crying of each falling dying

flake of snow,

Once I spoke the language of the flowers . . .

How did it go?

How did it go? �

“ F O R G O T T E N L A N G U A G E ” A N D “ H E C T O R T H E C O L L E C T O R ” 639

Whom did thespeaker join in cry-ing?

Whose languagedid he speak?

Shel Silverstein

People at Night, Guided by Phosphorous Traces of Snails, 1940. Joan Miró. Philadelphia Museum of Art.



MOTIVATIONStudents might enjoybrainstorming a list of “junk”that people usually throw out.You might list students’ ideason the board. Share with themtwo or three items that Hectorcollects to get them started.

READING PROFICIENCYStudents may better understandboth poems and more easilyrecognize their rhyme andrepetition if they listen to thepoems read aloud. Either readboth poems aloud expressivelyto students or play them an audiotapeof such a reading. Ask students tofollow along with the words of thepoems in their books as they listen.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:caterpillar—wormlike immature form

of a butterfly or mothgossip—idle talk or rumors,

especially about the situations ofothers

starlings—type of bird with short-tailand long wings

SPECIAL NEEDSSilverstein’s poems are a goodchoice for special needsstudents as well as students who saythey do not like poetry or who find itdifficult. The simple language andthe straightforward expression ofideas may help students to graspthese poems more easily than someothers. Encourage students whousually find answering higher levelquestions difficult to discuss theirresponses to the Investigate, Inquire,and Imagine questions in smallgroups. You might then hold awhole-class discussion. Encouragestudents who are usually reluctant tospeak out to share their ideas on theInterpret, Analyze, Synthesize,Perspective, and Empathy questions.


1. The speaker joined the crying ofeach falling dying flake of snow.

2. The speaker spoke the language ofthe flowers.


ENRICHMENTShel Silverstein is also known for theillustrations he created to accompanymany of his poems. Encourage students todraw an illustration for one of the

Silverstein poems. If students choose to illustrate“Hector the Collector,” tell them that their imageshould be different from the one that Silversteinproduced.


Hector the CollectorCollected bits of string,Collected dolls with broken headsAnd rusty bells that would not ring.Pieces out of picture puzzles,Bent-up nails and ice-cream sticks,Twist of wires, worn-out tires,Paper bags and broken bricks.Old chipped vases, half shoelaces,Gatlin’ guns1 that wouldn’t shoot,Leaky boats that wouldn’t

floatAnd stopped-up horns that

wouldn’t toot.Butter knives that had no

handles,Copper keys that fit no locks,Rings that were too small for fingers,Dried-up leaves and patched-up socks.Worn-out belts that had no buckles.

’Lectric trains that had no tracks.Airplane models, broken bottles,Three-legged chairs and cups with cracks.Hector the CollectorLoved these things with all his soul—Loved them more than

shining diamonds,Loved them more than

glistenin’ gold.Hector called to all the people,“Come and share my treasure trunk!”And all the silly sightless peopleCame and looked . . . and called it junk. �

What was wrongwith the boats andthe horns?

Hector loved thesethings more thanwhat?

1. Gatlin’ guns. Gatling guns, an early type of machine gunmade in the 1800s

Hector CollectortheShel Silverstein

Illustration from Where the Sidewalk Ends, 1974. Shel Silverstein.



1. The boats leaked and wouldn’tfloat. The horns were stopped-upand wouldn’t toot.

2. Hector loved these things morethan diamonds and gold.


ARTS AND HUMANITIES. Informstudents that Hector mightenjoy the “found art”movement. Certain twentieth-century artists have madenames for themselves bytransforming junk that mostpeople throw away into works of art.These artists carefully collect itemslike the ones Hector treasures—dollswith broken heads, bent-up nails andice-cream sticks—and transformthem into three-dimensional worksof art, letting the shape of theseobjects suggest a new form to themor assembling the objects in anabstract manner. Encourageinterested students to create theirown found art by using bits of junkfrom around their house to create anew and precious work of art. Tellstudents to check with their familiesbefore using any of the junk theyfind. It could just be that a familymember was saving the junk forsome future use him or herself!


What things do you treasure? Why are they meaningful to you?


“When I was a kid—12, 14, around there—I wouldmuch rather have been a good baseball player or ahit with the girls. But I couldn’t play ball, I couldn’tdance.”

Instead, Shel Silverstein—author, poet, car-toonist, composer, lyricist, screenwriter, play-wright—started writing and drawing at a youngage, developing early his unique style and voice.Silverstein was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1932.In the 1950s, he served in the military in Japanand Korea, and he was the cartoonist for the mili-tary newsletter. In 1952, he began his professional

career as a magazine writer and cartoonist.Although he is perhaps most widely known for hischildren’s books, Silverstein didn’t start out writingfor children. One day a friend of his brought himto talk to an editor who convinced him to write forchildren. He agreed, and went on to publish manybooks, including The Giving Tree, A Light in theAttic, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Shel Silversteindied on May 10, 1999. In a National Public Radiointerview on May 11, 1999, children’s book criticLeonard Marcus said about Silverstein, “I think youcould say that he was the troubadour king ofAmerican children’s books . . . I think adults as wellas children identify with a lot of his poems,because he was always pointing out what thelittle, single person, up against a much biggerworld, has to contend with.”

AbouttheA U T H O R



Ask students to consider whetherother people would find theseobjects as meaningful as they do orwhether outsiders might considertheir treasures junk. What mightthese say to someone to explainwhy their items is a treasure.


Check Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. In “Forgotten Language,” what

language did the speaker oncespeak? The speaker once spokethe language of the flowers.

2. In “Forgotten Language,” whogossips? The starlings gossip.

3. Name two things that Hectorcollects. Responses will vary.

4. In “Hector the Collector,” how doesHector feel about his collection? Heloves it very much.

5. In “Hector the Collector,” what dothe people call his collection? Thepeople call it junk.


repetition rhyme end rhymeinternal rhyme alliteration assonance

1. __________ is demonstrated in thefollowing line: “and all the sillysightless people.” Alliteration

2. __________ is demonstrated in thelast lines of “Forgotten Language”:“How did it go?How did it go?” Repetition

3. __________ is demonstrated in thetitle “Hector the Collector.”Internal rhyme




1a. In “Forgotten Language,” what languagedid the speaker used to know?

2a. What do all of Hector’s treasures have incommon?

3a. What does Hector call to the people?What do they say in response?


4a. In what ways did the speaker of“Forgotten Language” once communicatewith the different elements in nature?

Perspective: LOOKING AT OTHER VIEWS

5a. Why does Hector love his things morethan obviously valuable things?


1b. How might the speaker have forgottenthe language?

2b. Why might these things be valuable toHector?

3b. Why does Hector do this? Why do thepeople respond this way?


4b. What might “forgotten language” signify?

Empathy: SEEING FROM INSIDE

5b. How might Hector have reacted to thepeople’s response? What might he say tothe people? How might he one daychange his thinking?

REPETITION. Repetition is more than one use of asound, word, or group of words. Repetition is a tool thatworks to create or enhance rhythm. It also gives the sense that the speaker is “dwelling on” therepeated idea. What does the repetition in “Forgotten Language” indicate about the speaker’sfocus? What is the speaker dwelling on? Explain whether repetition makes the poem moremeaningful. How does repetition enhance the rhythm of “Hector the Collector”?

RHYME. Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends of words. Rhyme can enhance the musicalquality of a poem. Many poems reveal a pattern of rhyming words that appear at the ends of lines.These are called end rhymes. Internal rhymes are rhymes within the line. How do internal rhymeshelp tighten the poem “Hector the Collector”? In what ways do end rhymes help weave thepoem?




RECALL1a. The speaker used to speak the

language of flowers, caterpillars,starlings, houseflies, crickets, andthe snow.

2a. All Hector’s treasures are broken oruseless items that most peoplewould consider to be junk.

3a. Hector calls out to them, “Comeand share my treasure trunk!” Theycall his things junk.

INTERPRET

1b. Responses will vary.2b. Students may say that Hector has

fun collecting these items and findsthem to be interesting so he placesvalue on them.

3b. Hector may call out to the peoplebecause he wants to share withthem his love and enthusiasm forthese objects. The people respondin this way because they do notshare Hector’s feelings about histreasures and have different values.

ANALYZE4a. The speaker communicated with

nature by speaking to flowers,understanding the words of thecaterpillar, smiling at the gossip ofstarlings, sharing a conversationwith the housefly, answering thequestions of crickets, and joining inthe crying of falling dyingsnowflakes.

SYNTHESIZE4b. The “forgotten” language may

signify a close connection to natureand its creatures and an innocencethat the speaker has lost as he orshe has grown up.

PERSPECTIVE5a. Students may say that Hector loves

his things because they are anexpression of his personality andinterests; he has spent much timeassembling his unique collection ofthings and he loves them, so to himthey are more precious than goldand diamonds.

EMPATHY5b. Students may say that Hector was

probably hurt by the people’sresponse because he may have beenhoping they would share his interestand love in his unique collection ofjunk. Hector might deny that hiscollection is junk. Hector mightchange his thinking if peopleexpress negative attitudes towardhis collection for long enough.

REPETITION. The speaker repeats the lines, “Once I spikethe language of the flowers” and “How did it go?” Thespeaker also repeats the “Once I [verb]” format for thebeginnings of many of the lines. This repetitionindicates that the speaker is focusing on the loss he orshe feels about losing his or her connection to nature.The speaker is dwelling on what he or she could oncedo and is wondering how he or she lost this ability.Students may say repetition makes this poem moremeaningful because it emphasizes the speaker’s sadness

and sense of loss. Repetition helps give “Hector theCollector” helps give the poem a quick, playful rhythm.RHYME. Internal rhyme in select lines helps to tightenthe poem because the poem is essentially a long list ofthings. The internal rhyme also provides “surprises” ofsound in certain lines to help maintain the reader’sinterest. End rhymes also help give cohesiveness andhelp the reader to move with interest through the listof things this poem presents. It also gives this poem alight and playful rhythm.


SkillBuildersLanguage, Grammar,and StyleTECHNIQUES OF SOUND. Write apoem on a subject you find appeal-ing and use at least three of the sound tech-niques highlighted in this unit. Try to incorpo-rate aspects of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, asso-nance, onomatopoeia, and repetition. You maywant to begin your poem by freewriting. Writedown words and phrases that you like and thatcreate interesting sound combinations. Thenwork the phrases together into a poem.

VocabularyBLENDS. Blends are new words cre-ated by joining together two exist-ing words. Look at the following list

of words and try to figure out what two wordswere combined to make each blend. Then, cre-ate five new blends of your own. Write them incontextual sentences on the board in your class-room to see if your classmates can guess whattwo words each blend was derived from.1. glimmer 3. squiggle 5. mingy2. smash 4. motel

Study and ResearchTHESIS STATEMENTS. Choose one ofthe following topics to research.Then write a thesis about the topic

you choose. A thesis is a main idea in a work ofnonfiction such as an essay. For example, if yourtopic is “rhyme in poetry,” your thesis might be“rhyme makes poetry more pleasing for mostpeople.” After formulating your thesis, use libraryresources and the Internet to investigate thetopic. Find data that supports your thesis and alsodata that disputes it. After you have exhausted anumber of resources, look critically at the infor-mation you have pulled together. What can youconclude from your research? Do your findingssupport or negate your thesis? How would youmodify your thesis to fit your findings?Topics: Rhyme in poetry

Shel Silverstein’s poems and picturesPoetry and songUses of alliteration

Speaking and Listening& CollaborativeLearningORAL INTERPRETATION. Choose apoem from this unit. Practice reading the poemaloud to a partner. Then listen to your partnerread aloud the poem he or she selected. Giveone another constructive feedback on how toimprove your readings. See the Language ArtsSurvey 4.19, “Oral Interpretation of Poetry,” fortips on dramatic reading. When you have per-fected your reading, present it to the class.

Writer’s Journal1. Choose one of the poems in this unit and make a comic strip to illustrate it.

Submit the poem and your comic strip to your school newspaper or to a differentpublication.

2. Suppose you are writing an editorial about airplane noise in your neighborhood. In youreditorial, create an onomatopoeia for the sound a low-flying airplane makes.

3. Imagine that you are Hector the Collector as an adult and that you are opening a businessto buy and sell antiques and collectors’ items. Write a jingle advertising your store.




Language, Grammar, and StyleTECHNIQUES OF SOUND. Responses willvary, but make sure that studentsidentify their use of the soundtechniques listed in the Skill Builderactivity on page 643. You may want tochallenge students to form teams andwrite a group poem. The team whosepoem includes the most techniqueswins.

VocabularyBLENDS. For the blends listed, you mayneed to have students consult adictionary. See the Language ArtsSurvey 1.17, “Using a Dictionary.”Responses may include the following:

1. glimmerblend of gleam + shimmer

2. smashblend of smack + mash

3. squiggleblend of squirm + wiggle

4. motelblend of motor + hotel

5. mingyblend of mean + stingy

Study and ResearchTHESIS STATEMENTS. Refer students to theLanguage Arts Survey 2.25, “Writing aThesis Statement” and 2.26, “WritingMain Ideas and Supporting Details” forthe writing part of this activity. Referthem to the Language Arts Survey,5.17–5.29, for help in locating andevaluating sources.

Speaking and Listening &Collaborative LearningORAL INTERPRETATION. See theAssessment Resource 4.10,“Collaborative Learning EvaluationForm” and 4.11, “Public SpeakingEvaluation Form” to evaluate studentperformance in this activity.


Media LiteracyEVALUATING AN INTERNET SITE. Using a computer with an Internet connection, lookup the Poetry Society of America’s Poetry in Motion homepage athttp://www.poetrysociety.org/motion/homepage.html.Explore the site and its links and find answers to the following questions:

• What is Poetry in Motion? Who started the program?• Where does this program function?• What is the Poetry Society of America? What do members of the society do?• How well does this page and related pages convey information? How well do these pages

attract a person’s attention?

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest rating and 10 being the highest, rate thisInternet site. Give solid reasons for your evaluation.


http://www.poetrysociety.org/motion/homepage.html

“ T H E L O S T PA R R O T ” 645

P O E M / M E A N I N G

Have you ever lost someone orsomething that you caredabout? Describe your experi-ence.

DIALOGUE. Dialogue is conver-sation involving two or morepeople or characters. In fic-tion, dialogue is enclosed inquotation marks (“ “) and isoften accompanied by taglines, which are words andphrases such as he said or shereplied that tell who is speak-ing. In poetry, however, dia-logue is not always indicatedby quotation marks or taglines. As you read “The LostParrot,” determine whether ornot the poem contains dia-logue.

SYMBOL. A symbol is some-thing that stands for or repre-sents both itself and some-thing else. In this poem, thelost parrot is a symbol forsomething else. As you read,think about what the parrotmight symbolize.

Reader’sJournal

• As you read poems such as “The Lost Parrot,” you may noticethat the author tells a poetic story using much fewer wordsthan in a prose story. The poem may appear simple on thesurface, but each word is carefully chosen to suggest deepermeanings. The poet molds and shapes words to describeobjects, experiences, and emotions—either from his or herown life or from observation. The poet uses rhythm, rhyme,sound, imagery, and figures of speech to present ideas in ameaningful way and to provoke an emotional response fromthe reader. No two people will interpret a poem in the sameway. Each reader, based on his or her experiences and insights,may come away from the poem with a unique perspective onthe poem’s meaning, but each perspective has to be justifiedby the words of the poem.

• SCIENCE CONNECTION. “The Lost Parrot” is about a boy who istrying to write a poem about a parrot. Parrot is the generalname for such birds as cockatoos, macaws, and parakeets.Usually, though, the term parrot refers to a species of fairlylarge birds with colorful feathers, strong beaks, and fleshytongues that enable them to mimic words and evensentences. Some types of parrots have been domesticated aspets, but many species continue to live in tropical rainforests and other natural habitats.

Prereading

“THE LOST PARROT”by Naomi Shihab Nye

Reader’sT O O L B O X

Reader’s Resource

Graphic“The Lost Parrot” contains words andphrases that create a feeling of ten-sion, loss, and sadness. As youread, fill in the graphic orga-nizer at right with the wordsand phrases that you thinkhelp create this feeling. te

nsio

n

loss

sadness• frowns

• bi

tes a

t his

penc

il


GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• identify with the feelings of a character portrayed in

a poem• briefly compare and contrast how a poem tells a

story to how a work of prose does

• define dialogue and identify dialogue without taglines or quotation marks in a poem

• define symbol and identify a symbol in a poem




GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Near tension, students may write biteshis pencil, squirms, looks nervous,pencil gripped in fist. Near sadnessthey may write frowning, talks slowly,hunches, stares at the ceiling. Nearloss they might write “I has a parrot . . .it left,” always the same subject forCarlos, I don’t know where it went,This time he will guard it carefully,make sure it stays, Before anythingelse he loves gets away.

READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to discuss why itis hard for some people to fullyexpress their feelings when they aresad about a loss.

Carlos bites the end of his pencilHe’s trying to write a dream-poem, but waves at me, frowning

I had a parrot

Naomi Shihab Nye




MOTIVATIONYou might wish to share withstudents a documentary film onparrots. Good sources fordocumentaries include NationalGeographic-sponsored films,PBS, the Learning Channel, andthe Discovery Channel. If youcannot locate a documentaryor do not wish to take the classtime to show one, you mightshow students pictures of parrotsfrom books or magazines.

READING PROFICIENCY

Students may benefit and havean easier time distinguishingdialogue from the rest of thepoem if they hear it read aloudon audiotape. You might alsolet students know ahead oftime that dialogue in this poem isindented, but they will have todetermine who is speaking based onother details in the poem.

ENGLISH LANGUAGEPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:dream-poem—poem based on

images from a dreamhunches—draws up the body so as

to form a hump or archexpedition—starting out on a

journey for a definite purpose,such as exploration or battle

mangoes—yellow-red tropical fruits,with a hard skin and pit, but fleshthat is sweet, juicy, and soft whenripe

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents may benefit fromreading the information in the Aboutthe Author section before reading therest of this poem. Doing so will makewho Carlos is and who the speaker isclear. This will help students to betterattribute the dialogue to the correctcharacter as well as to understandwhat the poem is about in the poet’sown words.


ENRICHMENTAsk interested students to preparebrief written reports on parrots. Studentsshould focus on their natural habitat, theirphysical characteristics, how long they

have been known to live, how they socialize, andparrots in captivity and what they can be trained todo. Ask students to speculate on whether or not aparrot would make a good pet based on what theyhave learned.

He talks slowly, like his voice travels farto get out of his body

A dream-parrot?No, a real parrot!Write about it

He squirms, looks nervous, everyone else is almost finishedand he hasn’t started

It leftWhat left?The parrot

He hunches over the table, pencil gripped in fist,shaping the heavy lettersDays later we will write story-poems, sound-poems,but always the same subject for Carlos

It left

He will insist on reading it and the class will look puzzled The class is tired of the parrot

Write more, CarlosI can’t

Why not?

I don’t know where it went

Each day when I leave he stares at the ceilingMaybe he is planning an expeditioninto the back streets of San Antonio1

armed with nets and ripe mangoesHe will find the parrot nesting in a rain gutterThis time he will guard it carefully, make sure it stays

Before winter comes and his paper goes whitein all directions

Before anything else he lovesgets away �


Why can’t Carloswrite more aboutthe parrot?

What happenedto the parrot?

What does thespeaker thinkCarlos will do if hefinds his parrot?

1. San Antonio. City in southern Texas



1. The parrot left.2. Carlos can’t write more about the

parrot because he doesn’t knowwhere it went.

3. The speaker thinks that Carlos willguard the parrot carefully so itwon’t leave again.


Remind students of the oldsaying that has been so oftenrepeated it has become cliched:If you love something, set it free.

Ask students to discusswhether or not Carlos would agreewith this idea. How might herespond to this idea if someonesuggested that his losing his parrotwas for the best? Ask students tostate their own opinions on this ideaand how it relates to the poem.Answers. Responses will vary. Students maysuggest that Carlos might disagreewith this statement because he feelssuch sadness and loss about hisparrot. They may suggest that he willfeel differently and may come toagree with this statement in time.Responses will vary.


What would you do if you were Carlos?


Naomi Shihab Nye tells about discoveringpoetry at age six, sharing poetry with young peo-ple, and how she came to write “The Lost Parrot.”

I started to read poetry at age six, possiblyas a refuge from our insulting first-grade text-book—Come, Jane, come. Look, Jane, look. Ithought, “Were there ever duller people in theworld? You have to tell them to look atthings? Why weren’t they looking to beginwith?”

Poets I loved early on: Carl Sandburg,Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson (very mys-terious), William Blake (my second-gradeteacher urged us to memorize his “Songs ofInnocence”), Walter de la Mare, Rachel Field,Rabindranath Tagore.

I started to write poetry then too, and I sentmy first poems to children’s magazines by ageseven. Wee Wisdom, a magazine that stillexists, published the first one about my catCricket. I got to read the poem over theschool intercom, which seemed very space-age in those days.

You could write about anything, whichseemed fabulous to me. The field was rich andwide open. Actually, the process of writing wasmuch more exciting than the moment of see-ing something in print. Writing was anotherway of thinking, but better, because yourthoughts unfolded right there in front of you,and you could go back to them. Often, writ-ing also felt like another kind of friend—apatient companion—you could tell anythingto. It would not betray or abandon you.

After college, I worked as a poet-in-the-schools, visiting schools all over my city and

state, encouraging students to explore thematerial of their own lives through words.

“The Lost Parrot” was written for a real boynamed Carlos in San Antonio (a third-grader)after I had been working with children andtheir writing for a few years. A “dream-poem”is a poem in which a writer follows imagesthat first come to him or her through dream-ing—whether while sleeping or during awakeful state. These can be kooky things,impossible things, wished-for things. (Poetsthink daydreaming is very important.)

I urged students not to write that they hadwoken up in the last line. “Stay in the dream,”I said. I urged them to experiment with asmany images as they could, describing themso readers could picture them too.

Carlos, however, had only one image andone subject, as the poem suggests.

I couldn’t stop thinking of him after I left hisclassroom. I kept looking for his parrot in thetrees. Just recently a woman sent me a poemin which she says she found his parrot andraised it for years. I just wish we could find himto tell him.

AbouttheA U T H O R



Ask students to imagine that theyare Carlos’s friends. What mightthey say to Carlos to help him feelbetter?

SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.9.13 WITH ANSWERS

Checking Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. What is Carlos trying to write?

Carlos is trying to write a dream-poem.

2. What will Carlos insist on doing inclass? Carlos will insist on readinghis poem out loud.

3. Why does Carlos say he can’t writemore? Carlos says he can’t writeany more because he doesn’tknow where the parrot went.

4. To where might Carlos be planningan expedition? Carlos might beplanning to go to the back streetsof San Antonio.

5. Where might Carlos find theparrot? Carlos might find theparrot in a rain gutter.


dialogue tag lines symbol

1. The words or phrases that tell whois speaking are known as__________. tag lines

2. A thing that stands for or representsboth itself and something else iscalled a __________. symbol




1a. What is Carlos trying to write a poemabout? What are the only words Carlos isable to write?

2a. What does the speaker imagine thatCarlos is planning?


3a. Identify the words and phrases thatdescribe Carlos. What does he do? Howdoes he act?


4a. Why is the parrot so important to Carlos?


1b. Why is Carlos unable to write more?

2b. Why does the speaker think Carlos wantsto do this?


3b. Describe Carlos in your own words. Whatdo you think prevents Carlos from writingmore?


4b. What do you think will happen to Carlos ifhe never finds the parrot? How might histeacher and classmates help him?

DIALOGUE. “The Lost Parrot” contains dialogue, or con-versation involving two or more people or characters,but it does not look like the dialogue you normally see in a story. The dialogue in this poem isnot separated from the rest of the text by punctuation or by tag lines. Using the dialogue inthis poem, rewrite the conversation between the speaker and Carlos, using quotation marksand tag lines to indicate who is speaking. Be creative with your tag lines—for example, insteadof writing “he said,” write “he whined.”

SYMBOL. A symbol is something that stands for or represents both itself and something else.What do you think the parrot in this poem might symbolize?




RECALL1a. Carlos is trying to write a poem

about a parrot. The only wordsCarlos is able to write are “It left.”

2a. The speaker imagines that Carlos isplanning an expedition to find theparrot.

INTERPRET1b. Carlos says that he is unable to

write more about the parrotbecause he doesn’t know where itwent. Students may suggest thatCarlos is unable to write morebecause he is still overcome bysadness and grief and so is unableto put his feelings into words or hisexperience into perspective.

2b. The speaker thinks that Carlosmight want to find the parrot so hecan keep it this time.

ANALYZE3a. Students may point to the words

and phrases identified in theanswers to the Graphic Organizeractivity. Students may say thatCarlos seems so focused on the lossof his parrot that he is unable towrite about or talk about muchelse. Students may say that Carlosacts very depressed and forlorn.

SYNTHESIZE3b. Students may say that Carlos seems

devastated to have lost his parrot.He seems very depressed andobsessed with his loss. Studentsmay say Carlos cannot write morebecause his loss is still too recentand he doesn’t have theperspective necessary yet to put hisfeelings into words.

PERSPECTIVE4a. Responses will vary. Students might

say that Carlos has lost someone heloves. They might also say thatCarlos seems to be lonely andunhappy and as a result has a hardtime in school. Students might saythat the parrot is important toCarlos because it representseverything or everyone he has lost.

EMPATHY4b. Students may say that Carlos will

have to slowly learn to cope withhis loss and distance himselfsomewhat from his feelings of lossover time. Students may say thathis teacher and classmates canencourage Carlos to talk about hisfeelings and when he does so keepand open mind, not judge him,and be supportive.

DIALOGUE. Responses will vary. A possible response is given.“I had a parrot,” whispered Carlos.“A dream-parrot?” I asked.“No, a real parrot!” Carlos insisted.“Write about it,” I suggested.“It left,” was all that Carlos wrote.“What left?” I inquired.“The parrot,” Carlos sighed.“Write more, Carlos,” I urged him.

“I can’t,” he mumbled.I demanded, “Why not?In a trembling voice full of long pauses, he breathed, “Idon’t know where it went.”SYMBOL. Students might say that the parrot symbolizessomeone that Carlos has lost, such as a parent or afriend. Students might also say that the parrotsymbolizes love, and that Carlos suffers from a lack oflove in his life.


P O E M / M E A N I N G

650 U N I T N I N E

AIM. A writer’s aim is his or her purpose, or goal.People may write to inform (informative/exposi-

tory writing); to tell a true or invented story (narrative writing);to reflect (personal/expressive writing); to share a perspectivemeant to entertain, enrich, or enlighten (imaginative writing);or to persuade readers to respond in some way(persuasive/argumentative writing). Many literary works fallunder more than one of these categories. For example, an arti-cle about water pollution could be both informative and per-suasive. A letter could be both narrative and personal/expres-sive. Based on the title of this poem, what do you think theauthor’s aim, or aims, might be?

FLASHBACK. A flashback is a part of a story, poem, or play thatpresents events that happened prior to the time in which theliterary work takes place. Writers use flashbacks in many ways.One common way is to begin a work with a final event or situ-ation and then to go back to the rest of the story or to anevent that happened prior to that situation, as a way toexplain how that event or situation came about. Another com-mon technique is to begin a story in the middle of the actionand then to use a flashback to fill in the events that occurredbefore the opening of the story. As you read, identify the flash-back in the poem.

ASSONANCE. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds instressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds, aswith the long i sound in lime light. Identify phrases in thispoem in which assonance is used.

Prereading

“My Father’s Song”• Many stories and traditions

from southwestern NativeAmerican cultures centeraround corn, often referred toas one of the “three sisters”along with beans and squash.Corn, or maize, is adomesticated plant native tothe Americas. Over thousandsof years, Native Americanscultivated maize from a wildgrass originally growing insouthern Mexico to thehusked ear of corn with fusedkernels found today.Traditionally, corn was animportant crop and was eatenat every meal. All parts of thecorn plant were used—thehusks were braided andwoven into masks, moccasins,sleeping mats, baskets, anddolls. After the kernels wereremoved, the corncobs wereused for fuel, ceremonialdecorations, and games.Today in the United States, 60million acres of farmland areused to grow corn, making itthe most widespread crop inthe country.

• An important theme in thetraditions and writings ofmany Native Americancultures is the relationshipbetween humans and nature.Many indigenous peopleagree that humans shouldcoexist with nature ratherthan try to control it. Thisphilosophy came into directconflict with that of whiteEuropean settlers, who tendedto view nature as a resource tobe used at will.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource


by Simon Ortiz

Think of someone close to you. What memories come tomind when you think of that person?


READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to concentrateon describing one memory thatsums up something about theperson they have chosen.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• identify with a speaker’s feelings about his father• explain the importance of corn to Native Americans

and identify a theme in Native American writing• define aim and identify a poem’s aim• define flashback and recognize flashbacks in works of

literature

• research Native American or Latino poetry• use prepositional phrases• write an advice column• use precise verbs



• Selection Worksheet 9.8• Selection Check Test 4.9.15• Selection Test 4.9.16• Language, Grammar, and Style

Resource 3.37• Study and Research Resource 5.21

READER’S TOOLBOX

AIM. Students might suggestthat the aim may bepersonal/expressive andimaginative.FLASHBACK. The flashback beginswith the line, “We planted cornone Spring at Acu.”ASSONANCE. Students may point tophrases including “the depth from histhin chest”; “to his son, his song”; “Iremember the soft damp sand/in myhand.”; “to show me an overturnedfurrow”; and “tiny alive mice.”


clod

Song

clod (cla�d’) n., lump or mass of earth. Clods of dirt lay scattered around the golf tee.

“ M Y FAT H E R ’ S S O N G ” 651

Simon Ortiz

Wanting to say things,I miss my father tonight.His voice, the slight catch,the depth from his thin chest,the tremble of emotionin something he has just saidto his son, his song:

We planted corn one Spring at Acu1—we planted several timesbut this one particular timeI remember the soft damp sandin my hand.

My father had stopped at one pointto show me an overturned furrow;2

the plowshare3 had unearthedthe burrow nest of a mousein the soft moist sand.

Very gently, hescooped tiny pink

animalsinto the palm of his

handand told me to touch them.We took them to the

edgeof the field and put

them in the shadeof a sand moist clod.

I remember the very softnessof cool and warm sand and tiny alive miceand my father saying things. �

Whom does thespeaker miss?

What does thespeaker’s fatherfind?

1. Acu. In Acoma culture, “the place where life happens”2. furrow. Plowed land3. plowshare. Part of the plow that cuts into the earth

What does thespeaker’s father dowith his discovery?

Campesino, 1976. Daniel Desiga. Collection ofAlfredo Aragon.

MyFather’s



MOTIVATION

Ask students to make a list of dishesthat use corn as an ingredient.Students might then bring in recipesand together create a corn cookbook.Urge students to prepare some ofthese dishes for each other to try.

READING PROFICIENCYHave students form pairs andtake turns reading this poemaloud to each other. Studentsshould then read the poems ontheir own, referring to theWords for Everyday Use,footnotes, and the English LanguageLearning Vocabulary above toexplain any unfamiliar turns.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:catch—a break in the voice, caused

by emotionburrow—hole or tunnel dug in the

ground by an animal

SPECIAL NEEDSSome students, especially urbanones, may be confused about whatthe father and son are doing in thefield and why they might find amouse there. Inform students thatland is plowed before it is planted.The plow cuts, breaks up, andoverturns the soil. It is often cut intolong furrows, or rows. (You might tryto locate pictures of a newly plowedfield to show students.) Breaking upthe soil and loosening its top layer isnecessary before planting seeds ofcorn (as the father and so do in thispoem). Mice and other creatures likemoles create nests underground fortheir young. In this poem one ofthese nests has been broken into bythe plow coming through andoverturning the soil.



1. The speaker misses his father.2. The speaker’s father finds a mouse’s

nest.3. The speaker’s father puts the

mouse’s nest in the shade at theedge of the field.

ENRICHMENTAsk interested students to write a tribute to amale role model in their own live. Their tributecan take any form they wish—a poem, apersonal letter of thanks to the role model, or aspeech that might be given to honor this person.In their tributes students should identify what

they learned from this person and why he was or is arole model to them. They may wish to share amemory about one event that is characteristic of therole model’s personality.

What does the speaker’s memory tell you about his relationship with his father?


Simon Ortiz knew he loved languageat an early age. The language he firstspoke was Acoma. A member of theAcoma Pueblo Nation, Ortiz was bornin 1941 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.He grew up in the Acoma village ofMcCartys (Deetseyamah) as a memberof the Eagle clan (Dyaanih hanoh).Ortiz says in his book Woven Stone,“This early language from birth to sixyears of age in the Acoma family andcommunity was the basis and source ofall I would do later in poetry, short fic-tion, essay, and other work . . .”

Ortiz attended the government-runMcCartys Day School up to the sixthgrade. Students there were required to learn and speak English and were forbidden to speaktheir native languages. After graduating from high school, Ortiz worked for a year mininguranium in Grants, New Mexico. He went on to college, but quit to join the army. In 1966,Ortiz went back to school, graduating from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.He got his master’s degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ School. Since then, SimonOrtiz has taught classes in Native American literature and creative writing at several collegesand universities. He has traveled the United States and several countries in Europe sharing hispoetry, lecturing, and telling stories. Ortiz is the father of three children. Of his work he hassaid, “Most of my cultural and literary work continues to focus on issues, concerns, andresponsibilities we, as Native Americans, have for our land, culture, and community.”

AbouttheA U T H O R




Also ask students to consider anddiscuss as a class what the speaker’smemory tells you about thecharacter of his father.


Checking Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. What does the speaker remember

about the sand? The sand isdescribed as soft, damp, cool andwarm.

2. What does the speaker rememberplanting? The speaker remembersplanting corn.

3. What does the plowshare reveal?The plowshare reveals the nest ofa mouse.

4. What animal does the speaker’sfather hold in his hand? Thespeaker’s father holds a mouse inhis hand.

5. What does the speaker do with theanimal? The speaker’s fathermoves the mouse and its familyto some shade at the edge of thefield.

Reader’s ToolboxMATCHINGA writer’s aim is his or her purpose orgoal. Match each aim with itsdescription.

a. informative/expository b. narrative c. imaginative d. personal/expressive e. persuasive/argumentative

_____ 1. tells a true or invented story b_____ 2. shares a perspective meant to

entertain, enrich or enlighten. c_____ 3. convinces readers to respond

in some way e

“ M Y FAT H E R ’ S S O N G ” 653



1a. Why does the speaker miss his father?

2a. What does the speaker remember abouthis father?


3a. In what ways does the speaker describehis father? What does he remember abouthis father’s physical nature? about hismannerisms?


4a. What “things” do you think the speaker’sfather said to his son? What “things”might the speaker want to say to hisfather?


1b. What do you think has happened to thespeaker’s father?

2b. Why does the speaker call up thisparticular memory?


3b. This poem is called “My Father’s Song,”yet there is no singing or music. What isthe song in this poem?


4b. What might the speaker do to feel better?How might he choose to celebrate hismemories?

AIM. A writer’s aim is his or her purpose, or goal. Doyou think Ortiz’s goal was to inform, persuade, tell astory, reflect, or share his perspectives? What, specifically, was Ortiz trying to convey throughthis poem? Do you think he accomplished his purpose?

ASSONANCE. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in differ-ent consonant sound. Assonance has an effect similar to rhyme. In what way does assonancecontribute to the sound of this poem?

FLASHBACK. A flashback is a part of a story, poem, or play that presents events that happenedprior to the time in which the rest of the literary work takes place. Why do you think the authorchose to include a flashback in this poem? What does the flashback contribute to the meaningof the poem?




RECALL1a. The speaker misses his father

because he wants to say “things.”2a. The speaker remembers his father

saving a mouse’s nest and “sayingthings.”

INTERPRET1b. The speaker’s father has died.2b. Students may say the speaker calls

up this particular memory becauseit shows what kind of character hisfather possessed—gentle, respectfulof the earth’s other living creatures,and interested in his son’seducation in these matters.

ANALYZE3a. Students may say the speaker

remembers his father’s voice—thecatch in it from emotion and thedepth of it. He also remembers hisfather had a thin chest. Heremembers his father stops plantingto show him the mouse nest andthat he lifts up the animals gentlyand carefully places them in theshade by the edge of the field.

SYNTHESIZE3b. Students might say that the song in

this poem is the speaker’s memoryof his father’s compassion for themice they find in the field whileplanting corn. They might also saythat the song is made up of all ofthe valuable things that thespeaker’s father taught him.

PERSPECTIVE4a. Students might say that the

speaker’s father said things aboutplanting or helping the animals.Students might say that the speakersimply wants to talk to his fatherabout everyday happenings, orperhaps that he would like thechance to tell his father how hefeels about him.

EMPATHY4b. Responses will vary. Possible

responses are given. Students maysuggest that the speaker mightshare his memories of his fatherwith others and continue to honorhis father’s memory by sharingwhat his father taught him aboutrespecting the earth and itscreatures with others, perhaps withhis own family.

AIM. Students may say Ortiz’s goal was to reflect, tell astory, and/or share his perspective. Students may sayOrtiz was trying to convey a little about the character ofhis father through the story he tells in the poem as wellas share the feelings he has about his father and his senseof loss now that his father is gone. Most students will saythat Ortiz has accomplished his purpose, but if studentshave other points of view encourage them to share themand support them with reasons, using examples from thepoem as necessary.

ASSONANCE. Assonance helps create a more musicalsound to this poem.FLASHBACK. Students may say that as the speaker’sfather is dead, he shares a flashback from an early timeto share the type of person his father was and helpexplain why the speaker misses him so much. Theflashback shares that the speaker’s father was a gentleman who cared for nature and its creatures.



SkillBuilders

GraphicMake a storyboard that shows the action in this poem chronologically. Recall the major eventsof the poem, and then illustrate the events in a series of squares.

Writer’s Journal1. Imagine you found Carlos’s parrot. Write a lost and found advertisement

about the parrot for the local newspaper.

2. Write a note from Carlos’s teacher to Carlos, encouraging him to write his feelings.

3. In “My Father’s Song,” the speaker’s father taught him an important lesson about takingcare of animals when he moved the mouse’s nest to a safe place. Write five fortunecookie inserts that might teach lessons on issues that you think are important in life.

Study and Research & Collaborative LearningRESEARCHING POETS. Form a group of three or four students. Using the Internet andlibrary resources, research Native American or Latino poetry. Find out who the mostpopular writers are and collect samples of their work. Put together a scrapbook of

poetry or hold a poetry reading for the rest of your class. Create a bulletin board featuring decora-tive versions of the poems you have selected, along with information about the authors.


GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students may depict the followingscenes: the speaker and his father areplanting corn, the father stops andshows his son an overturned furrow,they see a mouse nest that has beenunearthed, the father scoops up themice gently in his hand and tells hisson to touch them, they put themice in the shade of a moist sandclod at the edge of the field, thefather talks to his son, the speaker—now grown up—misses his fatherand thinks about him.

“ M Y FAT H E R ’ S S O N G ” 655

Language, Grammar,and StylePREPOSITIONAL PHRASES. A prepo-sition is used to show how itsobject is related to other words in the sen-tence. Common prepositions are in, on, over,under, before, after, among, at, behind, beside,off, through, until, upon, and with. The preposi-tion begins a phrase that contains the object.

In the sentence below, under is the preposi-tion and the bridge is the object of the prepo-sition. Note how this prepositional phrasegives additional information about where thecar drove.

The car drove under the bridge.

Changing the preposition causes the meaningof the sentence to change.

The car drove over the bridge.

Changing the object of the preposition createsa new relationship in the sentence.

The car drove under the fallen tree.

In the sentences above, the prepositionalphrase modifies the verb. A prepositionalphrase can also modify a noun, an adverb, oran adjective. In the sentence below, theprepositional phrase modifies the noun.

The boy in the yellow shirt is Tom’s brother.

Add a prepositional phrase to each of the fol-lowing sentences to tell something moreabout the subject or verb.EXAMPLE My dog barks.

My dog barks at the moon.

1. My house is the small one.2. Fred and Jeb walked.3. Sylvia ate a whole pizza.4. John and Erica laughed.5. The sun shone.

For more information, see the Language ArtsSurvey 3.69, “Prepositions.”

Applied EnglishADVICE COLUMN. Imagine that youare an advice columnist, workingfor a newspaper. Using one of thepoems in this section, write a letterfrom one of the characters asking for advice,based on the information in the poem. Thenwrite a letter from you to the character, givingthe needed advice. If you wish, work in pairs,with each person writing one of the letters.

VocabularyUSING PRECISE VERBS. The sen-tences below contain verbs thatexpress meaning but that do not

convey precise details about the action in thesentence. Identify the verb in each sentenceby underlining it. Then rewrite each sentence,changing the existing verb to a verb that ismore specific, more informative, or more cre-ative. See the Language Arts Survey 3.37,“Adding Colorful Language to Sentences,” formore help with this activity. Check a thesaurusif you have trouble thinking of new verbs forthe sentences. For more information, see theLanguage Arts Survey 5.21, “Using aThesaurus.”EXAMPLE I went to the drugstore.

I strolled to the drugstore.

1. Sam quickly wrote directions to his house.2. Aunt Maud always talks about her little

poodle.3. I will make dessert.4. The cars move down the road.5. Jan took a chocolate from the tray.



Study and Research & Collaborative LearningStudents may find identifying NativeAmerican and Latino poets easiest onthe Internet or by looking inanthologies of Native American orLatino poetry. Students may havedifficulty determining who is the mostpopular poet, so encourage students topick a poet who has won an award orwho seems to have published widely.Divide students into three groups—onecan work on the scrapbook, one cangive poetry readings, and one cancreate a bulletin board.

Language, Grammar, and StyleResponses will vary. Possible responses aregiven.1. My house is the small one beside

the river.2. Fred and Jeb walked beside the

shore.3. Sylvia ate a whole pizza at the local

pizza parlor.4. John and Erica laughed about the

things they did when they wereyounger.

5. The sun shone above the grassymeadow.

Applied EnglishIf students choose to work in pairs, youmight encourage them to completetwo advice columns, trading roles asthe advice giver and the questioner.Have students share their columns withanother pair to proofread each other’swork. For more information onproofreading, refer students to theLanguage Arts Survey, “Proofreading.”

VocabularyResponses will vary. Possible responses aregiven.1. wrote; Sam quickly scrawled

directions to his house.2. talks; Aunt Maud always brags

about her little poodle.3. make; I will whip up a dessert.4. move; The cars whiz down the

road.5. took; Jan snatched a chocolate from

the tray.

N A R R A T I V E P O E M

656 U N I T N I N E

NARRATIVE POEM. A narrative poem is a versethat tells a story. Like most stories, a narrative

poem has a setting; a protagonist, or main character; a conflict,or struggle; and a resolution, or final outcome to the conflict.As you read, identify these narrative elements in the poem.

SUSPENSE. Suspense is a feeling of expectation, anxiousness,or curiosity created by questions raised in the mind of thereader or viewer. One way writers create suspense is by usingdetails that create strong emotions. As you read, look fordetails that create a strong sense of emotion and curiosityabout what is happening in the story.

REPETITION. Repetition is more than one use of a sound,word, or phrase. Identify where Tennyson uses repetition inthis poem.

Prereading

“The Charge of the Light Brigade”

How would you react if youwere required to face a situationthat might cost you your life?

• HISTORY CONNECTION. Thispoem is based on the Battleof Balaklava, fought onOctober 25, 1854, duringthe Crimean War. In thebattle, a small force ofBritish soldiers on horsebackattacked a strong line ofRussian troops armed withheavy artillery (cannons andlarge guns). Of the 673British soldiers who foughtin the Light Brigade, only195 survived.

• The Crimean War, whichstarted in 1853 and lastedfor three years, was foughtbetween Russia and theOttoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). The conflictwas mainly over control ofthe Crimea and the vitalseaports on the Black Sea.England, France, andSardinia entered the war onthe side of the Turks andfought several bloodybattles in an effort to keepRussia from controlling theBlack Sea.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource


by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

GraphicUse this graphic organizer to identify evidence in the poemthat reveals the setting, protagonist, conflict, and resolution.

Setting

Protagonist

Conflict

Resolution

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred


READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to explorewhether or not they believe there isa cause important enough for themto sacrifice their lives.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• enjoy a narrative poem• briefly explain the historical context of “The Charge

of the Light Brigade”• define narrative poem and identify parts of the story

in such a poem

• define suspense and point to elements in a poemthat create suspense

• define repetition and identify examples of repetitionin a poem



• Selection Worksheet 9.9• Selection Check Test 4.9.17• Selection Test 4.9.18• Reading Resource 1.20• Language, Grammar, and Style

Resource 3.65• Speaking and Listening Resource

4.14

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students may include the followinginformation in their completedcharts:SETTING. All in the valley of DeathPROTAGONIST. Rode the six hundred(the Light Brigade)CONFLICT. Storm’d at with shot andshell / Boldly they rode and well /Into the jaws of DeathRESOLUTION. Then they rode back,but not/Not the six hundred.They that had fought so well / Camethrough the jaws of death / Backfrom the mouth of hell / All that wasleft of them / Left of six hundred.


blunder reeldismay sunderplunge

dis • may (dis ma’) v., unnerve; deter by arousing fear. The amount of work dismayed Sam, and he gave up. dismayed, adj.

blun • der (blun’ dər) v., make a mistake. I could have scored a goal, but I blundered and shot the puck over the goal.

“ T H E C H A R G E O F T H E L I G H T B R I G A D E ” 657

1Half a league,1 half a league,

Half a league onward,All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.“Forward, the Light Brigade!“Charge for the guns!” he said:Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.2

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismay’d?Not tho’ the soldier knew

Someone had blunder’d:Theirs not to make reply,Theirs not to reason why,Theirs but to do and die:Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

3Cannon to right of them,Cannon to left of them,Cannon in front of them

Volley’d and thunder’d;Storm’d at with shot and shell,Boldly they rode and well,Into the jaws of Death,Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred.

What orders aregiven to the LightBrigade?

1. league. Unit of distance

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

How do the soldiersrespond to theorders given?

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” was set to music by E. T. Paull in the early 1900s.



MOTIVATIONAsk students to hold a classdiscussion on their beliefs aboutwar. Is war ever justifiable? If so,when and under whatcircumstances? Would studentsbe willing to die for theircountry in a war? Encouragestudents to be respectful ofother students’ ideas andopinions.

READING PROFICIENCYStudents may benefit fromhearing a dramaticinterpretation of this narrativepoem before they beginreading. You might encouragean older student who isinterested in theater to prepare aninterpretation for your class. Thenask students to read through thepoem on their own. Tell them torefer to the Words for Everyday Useand footnotes in case they comeacross an unfamiliar word. You mightalso share with them the EnglishLanguage Learning vocabularybelow.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the following vocabularywords and expressions:brigade—large body of troopscannon—big gunvolley’d—volleyed, meaning

propelled or discharged an objectinto the air

gunners—soldiers who operate oraim guns

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents may have a difficulttime visualizing the action of thispoem, especially if they areunfamiliar with the way war wasfought in the nineteenth century.You may wish to show students adocumentary or a scene from amovie about a nineteenth centurywar, such as the Crimean War.

ENRICHMENTEncourage interested studentsto work in small groups toresearch the Crimean War in


1. The orders are to move forwardand charge the guns.

2. They follow the order withoutquestion.

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING STRATEGIES (CONT.)more detail. Students should focus onanswering questions such as thefollowing: Why was Russia so interested incontrolling the Black Sea? Why wereEngland, France, and Sardinia interestedin stopping Russia from doing so? What were somemajor events in the war? What was the outcome of

the war? Students should use a variety of sources fortheir research. Tell students that they shoulddocument their list of sources as they take notes.Groups might then prepare brief oral reports on theirfindings, using graphic aids as necessary. Studentsshould present you with their lists of sources afterthey have given their presentation.

plunge (plunj’) v., enter quickly into something. I plunged into the book as soon as I got home from the library.

reel (rel’) v., waver or fall back as from a blow. Glen reeled when the door flew open and hit him.

sunder (sun’ dər) v., break apart or become disunited. Our group would sunder if we were caught by a violent storm.

What would you have done if you believed your orders to charge had been a mistake?


Alfred, Lord Tennyson, born on August 5, 1809,in Somersby, England, was writing poetry by theage of eight. He published his first poems at theage of 18. In 1850 he was named poet laureateof England. In 1883 the prime minister ofEngland bestowed the title of “lord” on him.Tennyson continued to produce work throughouthis lifetime. He died on October 6, 1892, and wasburied in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.Many consider him to be one of the greatestpoets of the 19th century.

AbouttheA U T H O R


4Flash’d all their sabres2 bare,Flash’d as they turn’d in air,Sabring the gunners there,Charging an army, while

All the world wonder’d:Plunged in the battery-smokeRight thro’ the line they broke;Cossack3 and RussianReel’d from the sabre stroke

Shatter’d and sunder’d.Then they rode back, but not

Not the six hundred.5

Cannon to right of them,Cannon to left of them,Cannon behind them

Volley’d and thunder’d;

Storm’d at with shot andshell,While horse and hero fell,They that had fought so wellCame thro’ the jaws of DeathBack from the mouth of Hell,All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred.6

When can their glory fade?O the wild charge they made!

All the world wondered.Honor the charge they made,Honor the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred. �

What happened asthe Light Brigaderode back?

How does thespeaker rememberthe soldiers of theLight Brigade?

2. sabres. Cavalry swords3. Cossack. Member of the Southern Russian cavalary



Checking Your ReadingSHORT ANSWER1. How many soldiers are in the

group? There are six hundredsoldiers in the group.

2. Into what valley do the soldiersride? The soldiers ride into thevalley of Death.

3. What do the soldiers discover to theleft, right, and in front of them?The soldiers discover that theyare surrounded by cannons.

4. Who are the soldiers attacking? Thesoldiers are fighting Cossacks andRussians.

5. What does all the world do? All theworld wonders.

Vocabulary in ContextSENTENCE COMPLETION

Fill in each blank below with the mostappropriate word from the followingWords for Everyday Use from “TheCharge of the Light Brigade.” You mayhave to change the tense of the word.

dismay blunder plungereel sunder

1. As soon as she’d spoken, Alexandrarealized she’d made a terrible__________. blunder

2. The water looked very cold, butHeidi took a deep breath and__________ in. plunged

3. Richard was __________ when hisphotos turned out to be blurry.dismayed


1. They are stormed at with shot andshell.

2. The speaker remembers them asheroes worthy of honor and glory.


You might also encourage studentsto discuss what they believe shouldhappen to the commander whogave the mistaken order. Should hebe punished for this mistake? Why,or why not?

SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.9.17 WITH ANSWERS (CONT.)

Reader’s ToolboxSENTENCE COMPLETIONFill in the blanks using the following terms. You maynot use every term, and you may use some terms morethan once.

narrative poem suspense protagonistresolution conflict

1. The struggle at the heart of a story is known as a__________. conflict

2. __________ in a story is the feeling of anxiousnessor curiosity created by the story. suspense

3. A verse that tells a story is called a __________.narrative poem

“ T H E C H A R G E O F T H E L I G H T B R I G A D E ” 659



1a. What does the speaker say about theorders given to the soldiers?

2a. What does the speaker say is a soldier’sduty?

3a. What language does the speaker use todescribe the valley where the battle takesplace?


4a. Compare and contrast stanzas 4 and 6.What technique is the poet using? Whichlines are different, and which lines are thesame?


5a. How well does this poem tell the story ofthe Battle of Balaklava? What parts of thestory could be missing? How well does thepoem recreate the setting and mood, oratmosphere, of a horrible battle scene?


1b. Why would the soldiers charge knowingthat the command is a mistake?

2b. How do the soldiers’ actions demonstratethe sense of duty that the speaker describes?

3b. Explain why these descriptions help youunderstand what is happening to theLight Brigade.


4b. Rewrite in your own words the section ofthe story found in each of these stanzas.How does the poet’s technique emphasizethese two parts of the story?


5b. Using what you know about war andmilitary capabilities today, explain how amodern battle scene might differ from thebattle described in this poem.

NARRATIVE POEM. A narrative poem is verse that tells astory. Review the graphic organizer you made to identifypassages in the poem that reveal information about the setting, the protagonist, the conflict,and the resolution. Create an additional column on the right side of the chart. In it, rewrite inyour own words the passages you identified for each category. What is the setting of thepoem? Who are the protagonists? What is the conflict? How is the conflict resolved?

SUSPENSE. Suspense is a feeling of expectation, anxiousness, or curiosity. Writers create suspenseby raising questions in the reader’s mind and by using details that create strong emotions.Review the examples of detail you found in the poem that contribute to the suspense. Whatadjectives does the author use? What are some of the action verbs? How are these details effec-tive? What details would you use if you were writing a suspenseful narrative about a battle?

REPETITION. Repetition is more than one use of a sound, word, or phrase. How does repetitioncontribute to the suspense and the mood in this poem?




RECALL1a. The speaker says that someone had

blundered in giving these orders.2a. The speaker says that it was not the

soldiers’ place to “make reply” or to“reason why,” but that it was theirplace to simply “do or die.”

3a. The speaker describes it as “thevalley of Death,” “the jaws ofDeath,” and “the mouth of Hell.”

INTERPRET

1b. The soldiers followed ordersobediently. They were courageousand sacrificed their safety for theircause.

2b. By charging into the valley andrisking death, they show theirwillingness to “do or die.”

3b. The descriptions create a sense ofdoom, horror, and imminent death.They let the reader know that thelight brigade’s mission is a doomedone that will claim many lives.

ANALYZE4a. The poet is using repetition. The

lines repeated are “Cannon to rightof them / Cannon to left of them /Cannon in front of them / Volley’dand thunder’d / Storm’d at withshot and shell.” The remaining linesare different.

SYNTHESIZE4b. Responses will vary. The poet

contrasts two like images with twodistinct images. The vision ofviolence and chaos carries over, butthe images of the soldiers differ. Instanza 3, they are entering battle(“Into the valley of Death”, and instanza 5 they are retreating frombattle (“back from the mouth ofhell”). Many of those who “boldlyrode” in stanza 3 have fallen instanza 5, and the survivors (“all thatwas left of them”) flee. Tennysonsuggests their slaughter throughcontrast rather than directdescription. The battle hasn’tchanged, but the soldiers havebeen changed by the battle. Suchan approach suggests the soldiersas fuel for an event much largerthan themselves. They aredevoured (“jaws of Death”) and therefuse is spit out.ANSWERS TO INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE, IMAGINE (CONT.)

EVALUATE5a. Responses may vary. The poem tells the story with

emotion but does not offer many details about theaction. The battle is described from beginning toend, but only from one side’s point of view. Thepoem recreates the battle’s setting and mood byusing vivid imagery of the battle scene.

EXTEND5b. Responses will vary. Students may suggest that

horses and cannons would be replaced with moremodern means of transport and weapons. Studentsmight also suggest that modern means ofcommunications might also make amisunderstanding about tactical orders less likely(although not impossible).

Answers to Understanding Literaturecan be found on page 660.


Language, Grammarand StyleADVERBS AND ANTONYMS. Make alist of adverbs in “Charge of the Light Brigade.” Find an antonym (a wordwith the opposite meaning) for each adverb.Then write a narrative poem of your own,using the new adverbs. For more information,see the Language Arts Survey 3.67,“Adverbs,” and 1.20, “Learning Synonyms,Antonyms, and Homonyms.”

Media LiteracyINTERVIEWING AND REPORTING.Imagine you are a reporter cover-ing the Battle of Balaklava.

Interview several classmates, each of whomshould respond as a participant in the battle.For example, one student could respond as asoldier in the Light Brigade, another as theofficer who gave the orders to charge, andanother as a Russian soldier. Write a newsstory for television, radio, or the newspaper,reporting on the battle and its outcome. Ifpossible, produce the story by videotaping it,making an audio recording, or printing it innewspaper format. See the Language ArtsSurvey 4.14, “Conducting an Interview,” fortips on how to prepare for an interview.

VocabularyLOOKING AT WORD FORMATION.Look back at “The Charge of theLight Brigade” and note theshortened words that end in ’d. What otherword is shortened with an apostrophe?Rewrite the words from the poem that con-tain apostrophes, removing the apostrophesand spelling out the complete words. Whatletter or letters did you need to add in thepast-tense verbs (the words that ended in ’d)?What rule of grammar led you to do so?

What letter or letters did you add to theother shortened word? Why do you thinkTennyson shortened these words as he did?

CollaborativeLearningSETTING A POEM TO MUSIC. “TheCharge of the Light Brigade” was

set to music by E. T. Paull in the early 1900s.In a small group, discuss how you would setthe poem to music today. What type of musicwould best fit the poem? What instrumentswould the music be for? Would the music beslow-paced or fast-paced? loud or soft? Whatwould the cover of your sheet music look like?Design the cover for the music. On the backcover, write a description of the music thatyou would favor for the poem.

Writer’s Journal1. Make a list of words you associate with war. Then write a short story using

those words.

2. Write a letter from a survivor of the Battle of Balaklava to his family at home, telling ofthe event.

3. Write a narrative poem about a conflict you have experienced.



Language, Grammar, and StyleAdverbs include: well, not, lightly,hurtling, unheeded, bright, there, again.Antonyms for this set of adverbsincludes, respectively: backward, timidly,badly, definitely, heavily, slowly, heeded,dully, here, once. If students havedifficulty creating a poem using all theseadverbs, have them write ten separatesentences, each using a new adverb.

Media LiteracyStudents may find it helpful tocomplete the Enrichment activity for“The Charge of the Light Brigade,” sothe students being interviewed willhave more factual information onwhich to base their replies.

VocabularyWords that end in ’d include dismay’d,blunder’d, thunder’d, flash’d, reel’d,shatter’d, sunder’d, volley’d, and storm’d.The word thro’ is abbreviated forthrough. Past tense verbs in English areformed with an –ed ending.


NARRATIVE POEM. Responses will vary.Students’ rewrites may resemble thefollowing: SETTING: All in a dangerousand deadly placePROTAGONIST. Rode the six hundred (theLight Brigade) = The six-hundredsoldiers rodeCONFLICT. Storm’d at with shot and shell/ Boldly they rode and well / Into thejaws of Death = Although the soldierswere showered with shots and shells,they boldly rode toward their almost-certain death.RESOLUTION. Then they rode back, butnot/Not the six hundred. = Thesurviving soldiers who survived rodeback, but there were less than sixhundred.

They that had fought so well / Camethrough the jaws of death / Back fromthe mouth of hell / All that was left ofthem / Left of six hundred. = Thesoldiers who fought well returned alivefrom the dangerous battle, but therewere few of the original six hundred left.SUSPENSE. These lines add suspense:“Theirs not to reason why/Theirs but todo and die”; “Cannon to the right ofthem,/Cannon to the leftthem,/Cannon in front of them/Volley’dand thunder’d”; “Boldly they rode andwell,/Into the jaws of death,/Into themouth of Hell”; “Then they rode backbut not/Not the six hundred”; and“While horse and hero fell.” Studentsmay note that the poem uses few


adjectives, and far more concrete nouns (cannon, jaws,death, mouth, Hell, horse, hero) and vivid verbs (do,die, volleyed, thundered, rode). The action verbs andconcrete nouns create a sense of motion and actionfitting for a battle scene. Responses will vary.

REPETITION. Repeated phrases include “half a league,”“valley of Death,” “jaws of Death,” “mouth of Hell,”“theirs not . . . ,” “Canon to . . . of them,” “Volley’dand thunder’d,” “flash’d,” “Storm’d at with shot andshell,” and “the six hundred.”

L Y R I C P O E M

What do you think aboutwhen you ponder the sky?

• Communication betweenindividuals, groups, and evencountries always involvespoints of view. Everyone viewsthe world in a different waybased on his or her beliefs, lifeexperiences, emotions, andrelationships. When peopledo not take the uniqueperspectives of others intoaccount, conflict can arise.Open lines of communicationoccur when people realizethat not everyone shares thesame point of view.Accepting, acknowledging,and negotiating differentperspectives helps peoplebuild relationships based onmutual understanding andrespect.

• SCIENCE CONNECTION. Whenyou look up at the night sky,what you see depends onwhere on the earth you are.The moon and stars appearone way to a person on theequator and look totallydifferent to a person at theNorth Pole. In addition,because the earth rotatesaround its axis, the starsseem to move across the skyso that each night the skylooks slightly different fromthe last.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource

LYRIC POEM. A lyric poem is verse that revealsthe emotions of a speaker and does not tell a

story. Lyric poems are often contrasted with narrative poems,which have telling a story as their main purpose. Many lyricpoems stem from poets’ observations of themselves, otherpeople, places, things, and situations. What observations doesthe poet make in “Corners on the Curving Sky”?

SYMBOL. A symbol is something that stands for or representsboth itself and something else. As you read this poem, look forsymbols that represent “different points of view.” Use thegraphic organizer below to develop your ideas about thepoem’s symbols.


Prereading

“Corners on the Curving Sky”

Graphic

Author Unknown

different points of

view

stars in your window

“ C O R N E R S O N T H E C U R V I N G S K Y ” 661


GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• appreciate a lyric poem• explain briefly why two different people in different

places see the night sky differently

• define lyric poem and identify the observations apoet makes in a lyric poem

• define symbol and identify symbols in a poem




GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students may list the followingsymbols that represent differentpoints of view: round earth,difference in positions, stars in yourwindow, sky burning with light anddark sky, separately corneringuniverse of our experience.

READER’S JOURNAL

You might ask students whether theythink about space and what it maybe like up there in space, what otherpeople on earth are doing andthinking about the nighttime sky, orsomething else. Tell them to list asmany thoughts as possible that runthrough their mind when they lookup at the nighttime sky.


Our earth is round, and, among other thingsThat means that you and I can hold completely differentPoints of view and both be right.The difference of our positions will show Stars in your window. I cannot even imagine.Your sky may burn with light,While mine, at the same moment,Spreads beautiful to darkness.Still, we must choose how we separately cornerThe circling universe of our experienceOnce chosen, our cornering will determineThe message of any star and darkness we encounter. �

Author Unknown

What is it that thespeaker cannotimagine?

What does thespeaker say “ourcornering” willdetermine?



MOTIVATIONEncourage students to locatebooks, articles, or Internet sitesthat depict differentconstellations. Ask students tochoose one constellation andthen share with their classmatesthe name of this constellation,a star map of what it looks like,a description of what the shape issupposed to represent, and sometips for other students on how torecognize the constellation in thenighttime sky.

READING PROFICIENCYStudents may benefit fromhearing this poem read aloudon audiotape. Tell students tofollow along with the words of thepoem as they listen. Have studentsthen read the poem independently.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGPoint out the followingvocabulary words and expressions:positions—here means both physical

place where a person or thing isand one’s opinion or point of view

corner—turn cornersencounter—meet unexpectedly

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents may have difficultywith some of the concepts in thispoem. Tell them to concentrate onresponding to the Guided Readingquestions and the Recall questions.


ENRICHMENTEncourage interested students to take on anindependent research project to explain why thestars in the nighttime sky change over centuries,so that the stars ancient Native Americans sawfrom the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico are

not in the same position as they appear to be to acontemporary Texan living in Corpus Christi today.Have students prepare brief oral reports in responseto this question. After students deliver their reportshave them give you a list of the sources they used tofind an explanation.


1. The speaker cannot imagine thestars the other person sees from hisor her window.

2. The speaker says our cornering willdetermine the message of any starand darkness we encounter.


You might ask students tobrainstorm a list of issues orsituation in which people can differand both be right. Keep track oftheir ideas on the chalkboard so thatthey can play off of other students’ideas to come up with new ones.

“ C O R N E R S O N T H E C U R V I N G S K Y ” 663



1a. What does the statement, “Our earth isround,” mean to the speaker?

2a. What is it that the speaker cannotimagine? What does the speaker see in hersky?

3a. What does the speaker say we mustchoose?


4a. What comparisons does the poem make?What contrasts does the poem make?


5a. To what extent do you agree with theideas presented in this poem?


1b. What is the connection between this state-ment and what the speaker says it means?

2b. Why does the speaker see a different skythan the person he or she addresses sees?

3b. How does that choice affect eachindividual?


4b. Explain in your own words what thispoem reveals about the idea that peoplecan have “different points of view andboth be right.”


5b. What are your thoughts about howpeople can be different and yet still getalong?

LYRIC POEM. A lyric poem is verse that tells the emo-tions of a speaker and does not tell a story. Lyric poemsare often contrasted with narrative poems, which have telling a story as their main purpose.Many lyric poems stem from poets’ observations of themselves, other people, places, things,and situations. What emotions are revealed in this lyric poem?

SYMBOL. A symbol is something that stands for or represents both itself and something else.How does the poet use the sky to represent his or her ideas? What symbols does he or she useto represent “different points of view”? Go back and finish or modify your graphic organizer toshow your final thoughts about symbols. Then identify symbols you might use to represent thedifferent points of view that people might hold.




Checking Your Reading1. What shape is the earth? The earth

is round.2. What does the speaker say the

reader will see in the window? Thespeaker says the reader will seestars in the window.

3. With what might the sky burn? Thesky might burn with light.

4. What will our cornering determine?The cornering will determine themessage of any star and darknesswe encounter.

Reader’s Toolbox1. What is the difference between a

lyric poem and a narrative poem? Anarrative poem tells a story, whilea lyric poem conveys emotion orimagery and does not tell a story.

2. What is a symbol? A thing thatstands both for itself andsomething else is a symbol.


RECALL1a. “Our earth is round” means that

“you and I can hold/completelydifferent/Points of view and bothbe right.”

2a. The speaker cannot imagine thestars the other person sees from hisor her window. The speaker seesthe sky “spread beautiful todarkness.”

3a. The speaker says we must separatelychoose how to corner the circlinguniverse of our experience.

INTERPRET

1b. The connection is that fromdifferent points on a round earth,things such as the nighttime skyappear differently, and so indescribing the sky both people arecorrect.

2b. The speaker sees a different skybecause he or she may be on adifferent part of the planet, at theopposite end of the earth from theperson he or she addresses.

3b. Our choice determines how we willperceive what we see or understandthe “message of any star anddarkness we/encounter.”

ANALYZE4a. The poem compares the way two

different points of view can both beright, stars in two different skies,and understanding the message oftwo different experiences—starsand darkness. The poem contraststhe points of view (saying they aredifferent) and the sky that burns


with light with the sky that spreads beautiful todarkness.

SYNTHESIZE4b. This poem reveals that because of the different

places people live and the different experiencespeople have, they can have ideas and experiencesthat are both right but different.

EVALUATE5a. Responses will vary. Some students may have

difficulty of the notion of there being more than

one right answer or more than one truth. Otherstudents will take readily to this idea. Encouragestudents to support their views with examples.


Answers to Understanding Literatureare on page 664.

664 U N I T N I N E

L Y R I C P O E M

What is your favorite place tobe alone? Explain your answer.

• SCIENCE CONNECTION. Appletrees belong to therosaceae, or rose, family. Inspring, white flowers thatlook like tiny roses appear.The flowers are pollinatedby birds and insects, causingseeds to grow. The seedsgrow into apples in about140 to 170 days. Apples,like pears, are pomes—fleshy fruits consisting of anouter thickened fleshy layerand a central core with fiveor more seeds. A healthyapple tree can producemore than 800 pounds offruit per year.

• In many literary works, thewriter creates a microcosm,or “little world.” Examplesof microcosms in the largerworld include dollhousesand aquariums. In literature,a microcosm can representan author’s view of life inthe larger world.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource

LYRIC POEM. A lyric poem is verse that revealsthe emotions of a speaker. Lyric poems are often

contrasted with narrative poems, which have telling a story astheir main purpose. Lyric poems often have songlike qualities.Traditionally, such poems were sung to the music of a lyre(ancient harp). What songlike qualities does “Under the AppleTree” have?

FIGURE OF SPEECH. A figure of speech is a statement orphrase that has more than a straightforward, literal meaning.Metaphor, simile, and personification are all figures of speech.In a metaphor, one thing is written about as if it wereanother, inviting the reader to make a comparison betweenthe two things. A simile is a comparison using like or as.Personification describes something not human as if it werehuman. Try to identify the figures of speech used in “Underthe Apple Tree.” Use the graphic organizer below to keep trackof the figures of speech you find.


Prereading

“Under the Apple Tree”

Graphic

by Diana Rivera

M

Make a Y-shaped grid like this one on your paper. Label thethree wedges with M, S, and P, for each of the figures ofspeech defined above. Write examples of each in the corre-sponding spaces.

apple tree withhollow belly

PS


READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to explore whatthey enjoy about the sights, sounds,smells, feelings, and tastes—thesensory details—of this place.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• have a positive experience reading a lyric poem• define lyric poem and explain what songlike qualities

a lyric poem has• define metaphor, simile, and personification and

distinguish between these figures of speech

• research astronomy• stage a poetry reading• evaluate Internet sites



• Selection Worksheet 9.11• Selection Check Test 4.9.21• Selection Test 4.9.22• Speaking and Listening Resource

4.19• Study and Research Resource 5.25

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

For metaphor, students might write“emerald hills”; “dark crevice oftrunks”; “butterfly’s tiny bluehearts/on powdery wings”; “a yellowshrub/furiously sprouts/in a trance ofburning stars”; “Branches are suns”;“insects—silver specks.”For simile, students might write “Likehorses with their swerved necks,/ Iconcentrate on grass”; “Earthwormsinsert themselves into the earth/likeglossy, pink pins!”; “little, high-pitched, cricketed chirps/rise like tiny bells towards the agelessmoon”; “horses trod down thepasture,/disappearing/like animpression of veils.”For personification, students mightwrite “apple tree,/knotty with itshollow/belly”; “sun that strokes”; “a crowd of petals close their eyes.”


“CORNERS ON THE CURVING SKY,” page663LYRIC POEM. The emotions revealed arewonder and acceptance.SYMBOL. The poet uses the sky torepresent the way two different ideascan both be right by showing how thesky will look different in one place thanit does in another. She uses differencesin positions and the different stars andskies seen to represent different pointsof view.


crevice

“ U N D E R T H E A P P L E T R E E ” 665

crev • ice (krev’ is) n., narrow opening resulting from a split or crack. My shoe was caught in the crevice of that rock.

I like it here,under the apple tree,knotty, with its hollowbelly

heresitting on its branchabove stone fences that separate pastures,

taking lifeherewith the sun that strokesthe sides of treescasting its shadows on emerald hills.

I like it here,entering the dark crevice of trunks,studying the butterfly’s tiny blue heartson powdery wings.

Like horses with their swerved necks,I concentrate on grass.Earthworms insert themselves into the earthlike glossy, pink pins!

What does thesun do?

the

Apple TreeDiana Rivera

The Lawrence Tree, 1929. Georgia O’Keeffe. Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut.

UNDER



MOTIVATION

Students may enjoy theopportunity to display theirtechnical shrewdness and theirknowledge about the Web inthe Media Literacy activityfollowing this poem. You maywish to form small groups ofstudents, with some studentswho are very confident withcomputers and the Internetand others who are lessconfident. Each group shouldgo to your school library orcomputer lab to complete thisactivity, and the students who aremore computer-savvy should sharewhat they know with other groupmembers.

READING PROFICIENCYHave students form pairs with areading partner. Studentsshould take turns reading aloudthe poem to each other andclosing their eyes and listening.They then might discuss the imagesfrom this poem that created themost vivid pictures in their minds.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

Point out the followingvocabulary words andexpressions:knotty—full of hard lumps where

branches grow or once grew outpastures—fields where animals such

as cows or horses grazeemerald—green precious jewel; also

the color of such a stonetrance—state of altered

consciousness, somewhatresembling sleep, in whichvoluntary movement is lost

glimmer—give a faint flickering lightscraggly—uneven or ragged in

growth or formnestle—settle down comfortably and

snugly (in or as in a nest)trod—walk acrossimpression—notion, feeling, or

recollection

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents may at first find theway ideas are expressed in this lyricpoem challenging because there isno narrative, no chronological order



1. The sun strokes the sides of treesand casts its shadows on emeraldhills.

to follow. Share with students the Words forEveryday Use and the English Language Learning.Tell them that as they read they shouldconcentrate on the images produced in theirminds as they read and the feelings they associatewith these images.

ENRICHMENTInterested students might research different

varieties of apples grown, thedifference in the tastes of these apples,and what these apples can be used for.Students might work together tocreate a chart for a recipe book listingthe information they discover on varieties ofapples. Ask students to determine if there aremore or fewer varieties of apples today that therewere fifty years ago.


What aspects of nature do you notice most when you are outside?


Diana Rivera was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She has studied art in Rome, Italy, and cur-rently resides in Upper Grandview, New York, where she writes and paints. Rivera is the authorof Bird Language, a collection of poetry published in 1994.

AbouttheA U T H O R

Against the green, a yellow shrubfuriously sproutsin a trance of burning stars.

Branches are sunsthat glimmer from withintaking lifehere, under the apple tree, where a crowd of petals close their eyes,where scraggly layers of trunkseem to slowly come apart.

At sunset the branch I siton snaps and coils.The blue jay hastily darts, and disappears.

I like it herewhere birds now nestle and sleep,where little, high-pitched, cricketed chirpsrise like tiny bells towards the ageless moon.

Here, where insects,—silver specks—fly through the glimmering blue.

Oh, but the mouse hides under the hay andthe cracks.The horses trod down the pasture,disappearinglike an impression of veils. �

What happens atsunset?

What does the yel-low shrub do?



1. The yellow shrub furiously sproutsin a trance of burning stars.

2. At sunset the branch the speakersits on snaps and coils.


You might expand this activity forurban students to include anyelements of students’ surroundingsthey notice when they are outside.


Checking Your Reading1. Where does the speaker like to sit?

The speaker likes to sit under theapple tree or on a branch.

2. What strokes the sides of trees? Thesun strokes the sides of the trees.

3. What has “tiny blue hearts”?Butterflies have tiny blue hearts.

4. What does the blue jay do atsunset? The blue jay disappears atsunset.

5. What creature’s sound does thespeaker hear at night? The speakerhears crickets at night.


a. lyric poem b. figurative languagec. metaphor d. simile

e. personification

________ 1. describes an animal, aplant, an idea, a thing, anemotion, or a thought as ifit were human e

________ 2. compares two things using“like” or “as” d

________ 3. does not tell a story a


LYRIC POEM. Students may say the poetshares the emotions of happiness,contentment, and wonder. We learnthat the speaker likes nature, but welearn little about his or her dislikes, Thespeaker’s emotions, mostly repeated inthe phrases, “I like it” and “hear,” givethe poem a songlike quality throughthe repetition itself. The joyful emotionsare also reminiscent of certaincelebratory songs.


FIGURES OF SPEECH. Students may say the examples ofmetaphor they identified in their responses to theGraphic Organizer activity help share the speaker’sunique perspective on the world and the way he or shesees nature. Students may say the similes they identifiedhelp students to imagine natural scenes by comparingthem to other things they know or can imagine.

Students may say the examples of personification theyidentified helps the reader to “see” natural objects inhuman terms and so to relate to them better. Studentsmay say they see human qualities in unexpected places(petals closing their eyes), which helps them to see thenatural object in a new and unusual way.

“ U N D E R T H E A P P L E T R E E ” 667



1a. What does the sun do in the third stanza?

2a. What happens at sunset?

3a. Where do the horses go in the last stanza?


4a. How many of the speaker’s observationsdescribe things? How many of herobservations describe actions shewitnesses?


5a. How well does this poem capture andinterpret the speaker’s experience? What,if anything, does the speaker fail to revealabout her experience?


1b. How does the speaker regard the sun?What makes you think so?

2b. How does the speaker react? How can youtell?

3b. How does this serve to conclude the poem?


4b. Explain how the speaker’s descriptionswork together to provide the reader witha vivid picture of the speaker’s experience,observations, and reactions to theexperience?


5b. In what ways does this poem describe auniversal experience that all people couldshare? In what ways is it more of a personalstatement? How would you describe asimilar experience in a different way?

LYRIC POEM. A lyric poem is verse that tells the emo-tions of a speaker and does not tell a story. Lyric poemsare often contrasted with narrative poems, which have telling a story as their main purpose.Lyric poems often have songlike qualities. What emotions does the speaker share in this poem?What do we learn about the speaker’s likes and dislikes? How do the speaker’s emotions con-tribute to the poem’s songlike quality?

FIGURES OF SPEECH. A figure of speech is a statement or phrase that has more than a straight-for-ward, literal meaning. Metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole are all figures of speech. Ina metaphor, one thing is written about as if it were another, inviting the reader to make a com-parison between the two things. A simile is a comparison using like or as. Personificationdescribes something not human as if it were human. Look back at your graphic organizer. Whatexamples of metaphor did you find in the poem? What effect do they have on the poem? Whatsimiles did you find? How do they impact the poem? What objects in the poem are personified? Inwhat ways does this help the reader “see” an unusual aspect of the object or objects?




RECALL1a. The sun strokes the sides of trees

and casts shadows on emerald hills.2a. At sunset the branch the speaker

sits on snaps and coils and a bluejay hastily darts away. The speakerthen sits longer enjoying the sceneeven after sunset.

3a. The horses trod down the pastureand disappear in the distance.

INTERPRET

1b. The speaker regards the sun as agood life-giving force. This isevidenced when the speakermentions “taking life with the sun,”and its gently stroking the sides oftrees and giving shade to emeraldhills.

2b. Students may say the speaker likesthe scene as much at night as he orshe did during the day. Studentsmay point to the phrase, “I like ithere,” and the vivid description ofnight the speaker offers.

3b. Their disappearance concludes thepoem because the speaker mentionssomething leaving his or her rangeof sight from the apple tree for thefirst time. The horse are probablyheading home, implying that thespeaker will soon do the same.

ANALYZE4a. Students may say that many of the

speaker’s observations describethings, such as the apple tree itself,the trunks of trees, butterfly wings,and horses’ necks. Many moredescribe actions he or she witnessessuch as the sun stroking trees andcasting shadows, the earthwormsinserting themselves into the earth,the yellow shrub sprouting, thecrowd of petals closing their eyes,the layers of trunk seeming to comeapart, the blue jay darting away,the birds nestling and sleeping, theinsects flying like silver specks, themouse hiding, and the horsesdisappearing like veils in thedistance.

SYNTHESIZE4b. Responses will vary. Students may

say then descriptions help to sharethe speaker’s experiences,observations, and reaction with thereader so the reader feels that he orshe too has been to this place andseen these things and can relate toand participate imaginatively inwhat the speaker describes.

EVALUATE5a. Students may say that this poem does a good job

of revealing what the speaker observes andexperiences, as well as how the speaker feels aboutthis place. The poem does not, however, revealmuch directly about the character of the speakerhim or herself or his or her life, other than howmuch he or she enjoys quietly observing naturefrom the apple tree.

EXTEND5b. Students may say that quietly observing nature is

an experience all people can share even if they arenot observing the exact same scene. Students maysay the poem is also a personal statement about aplace the speaker loves. Responses will vary.


Answers to Understanding Literatureon page 666.


SkillBuildersStudy and ResearchSTUDYING ASTRONOMY. Use libraryresources or the Internet to findinformation on astronomy. As youresearch, keep a log to track what informationyou have found and where you found it. Tryto locate answers to the following questions.What stars, constellations, and planets shouldI be able to see from this geographic locationat this time of the year? How can I identifythem? Where in the sky should I look? Whatshould I do to get the best view? What uniqueastronomical objects can be viewed this yearthat cannot be seen every year? After youhave found this information, check youranswers by looking at the night sky yourself.

Speaking andListeningPOETRY READING. Stage a readingof “Under the Apple Tree.” If you

wish, you may use props or other specialeffects. Try to interpret the poem from thespeaker’s point of view. As you read, pay par-ticular attention to the voice you use, theemotions you express, your pacing and vol-ume, and your gestures and facial expressions.See the Language Arts Survey 4.19, “OralInterpretation of Poetry,” for more help read-ing poetry aloud.

Media LiteracyEVALUATING INTERNET SITES. A num-ber of amateur poetry sites andelectronic magazines for kids existon the Internet. Some are developed and main-tained by schools. Others are sponsored by vari-ous organizations and Internet publishers. Likebooks, Internet sites can be reviewed, critiqued,and rated. Develop a list of at least five kids’ oramateur poetry sites, including a review for eachone. Critique each by evaluating its differentaspects, such as design, content, and ease ofuse. Finally, rank each site.

Before searching for the poetry sites, create alist of criteria by which to evaluate them. Thendecide which features you believe are mostimportant in a kids’ poetry site or e-zine. Useyour list to help you evaluate the sites you find.Some site addresses you may wish to start withare listed below. Or, you may want to use asearch engine to look for keywords such as kids,poetry, and e-zine. For more information onInternet research, see the Language Arts Survey5.25, “Using the Internet.”http://www.cyberteens.com/ezine/http://www.poetrytodayonline.com/

TeenPoetry.htmlhttp://members.xoom.com/grnhouse/main.htmhttp://www.veeceet.com

Writer’s Journal1. Imagine that you are a teacher and that your class discussions sometimes

result in everyone talking loudly at the same time. Write a list of ten rules for groupdiscussion, reminding your students to respect one another’s points of view.

2. Write a lyric poem describing a secret hideaway that you have or wish to have.

3. Write a “for sale” classified advertisement for the property described in “Under theApple Tree.”



Study and ResearchIn addition to books, articles, and Websites on astronomy, students may findnatural science museums andplanetariums to be valuable resources incompleting this assignment. You mightencourage students to form groups andto contact the resident astronomyexpert at such a place by letter or e-mail to set up a phone or e-mailinterview in which the expert mighthelp students with these questions. Formore information on interviewing, referstudents to the Language Arts Survey,“Conducting an Interview.”

Speaking and ListeningStudents might also prepare groupinterpretations of this poem in whicheach students delivers a stanza or two.Students should work together torehearse their group oral interpretationbefore delivering it to the class.

Media LiteracyRefer students to the Language ArtsSurvey, “How to Evaluate Internet WebSites.” If students have a hard timecoming up with criteria, give them thefollowing list as a starting point:number of poems available orpresented, overall quality of poems,attractiveness of Web site’s design,navigability (was it easy to get from oneplace to another in the Web site?),quality of links to other sites, timeliness(how often is the Web site updated?).

http://www.cyberteens.com/ezine/

http://www.poetrytodayonline.com/TeenPoetry.html

http://members.xoom.com/grnhouse/main.htm

http://www.veeceet.com

H A I K U 669

T R A N S L A T E D V E R S E

What do you hear when yousit perfectly still and listen toeverything around you?

• Translating poetry is anextremely difficult task.Poetry, even more thanprose, is tightly linked toculture and to subtlemeanings in language.While some people say thatpoems should be translatedliterally, word for word,others feel that the essenceof the poem is theimportant thing. If meaningis the part of a poem thatmust be translated from onelanguage to another, otheraspects of the poem areoften lost. The originalpoem’s rhyme and rhythm,for example, may be lost inthe translated verse. In thesetranslated haiku, forexample, the traditionalfive-syllable/three-syllable/five-syllable lineshave been changed.

• Haiku is a poetry form thatoriginated more than fivehundred years ago in Japan.The haiku tradition stemsfrom a close observation ofnature. The haiku is alsocharacterized by seeminglysimple reflections that reallyoffer complex ideas.

Reader’sJournal

Reader’sResource

HAIKU. A haiku is a traditional Japanese three-linepoem. It has five syllables in the first line, seven in

the second line, and five in the third. A traditional haiku pre-sents an image to arouse in the reader a specific emotionalstate. Contemporary poets have adapted the form for otherpurposes.

IMAGERY. An image is language that describes something thatcan be seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled. The images ina literary work are referred to, when considered altogether, asthe work’s imagery. A haiku usually presents one or moreimages to capture a moment of reflection. Describe the imagesin the following haiku. What sensory details create the images?Make a cluster chart for each poem. Write the central image ofthe poem in a center circle. Around the center circle, add sen-sory details that contribute to the image.


Prereading

Haiku

Graphic

by Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson, andKobayashi Issa; translated by Robert Hass

pond

a frogjumping


GOALS/OBJECTIVES

Studying this lesson will enable students to• enjoy reading some translated haiku• define haiku and explain the form of a haiku• define imagery and identify the imagery in a poem

• examine different translations• research the origins of haiku• identify parts of a dictionary definitions

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Students may include the followinginformation in their cluster charts:pond—old, frog jumps in, sound ofwater; grasses—misty, quiet waters,evening; night—summer, starswhisper to each other.

READER’S JOURNAL

Encourage students to write aboutsounds they hear when they arelistening carefully that they may notordinarily notice or might “tune out.”Encourage students to notice othersensory details when they sit still andopen their senses, such a sights theymight not pay attention to ordinarily,smells, and physical feelings. Havestudents compare their observationsin small groups to see what otherstudents picked up on.



• Selection Worksheet 9.12• Selection Check Test 4.9.23• Selection Test 4.9.24• Reading Resource 1.17


Matsuo Basho

The old pond—a frog jumps in,

sound of water. �

Yosa Buson

Misty grasses,quiet waters,

it’s evening. �

Kobayashi Issa

Summer night—even the stars

are whispering to each other. �

Into what doesthe frog jump?

What are the starsdoing?



MOTIVATIONStudents may find it interestingto see how many Japanesewords have entered the Englishlanguage. Challenge studentsto use dictionaries, their ownknowledge, and the Internet tocome up with more Japanesewords that have become a partof the English language. Havestudents bring their lists to class andshare them. Compile a list on thechalkboard as students offersuggestions.

READING PROFICIENCYStudents may find the haikumore simple to read than manypoems. Let students know,however, that haiku can createcomplex, detailed, and vividimages in very few words. Read thehaiku aloud to students and havethem close their eyes and try topicture the scene in each haiku.Students might then discuss in smallgroups which haiku appealed mostto them and which created the mostvivid pictures in their minds. Thenhave students read the haikuindependently, slowly and carefully.Ask students to discuss whether theirindependent reading changed theirminds in any way.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGShare with students that in theJapanese language mostsyllables are given equal stress.Encourage students to trypronouncing the authors’ namesgiving each syllable the same weightor stress.

SPECIAL NEEDSEncourage students to chooseone of the haiku and draw thepicture the haiku creates intheir mind. Students mightthen share their drawings withothers. Concrete visual images mayhelp some students to better picturethe images in these poems.



1. The frog jumps into the old pond.2. The stars are whispering to each

other.

ENRICHMENTEncourage students to write their ownseries of three haiku on the same scene orsubject. For example, students mightdescribe a city playground during thenight in winter, during the day in summer,

and at night in summer, or students mightdescribe three very different bodies of water.Students who participate might then compile theirhaiku into a class book of haiku to share with otherstudents.

H A I K U 671

If you were a haiku poet, what natural scene would spark your imagination as a poten-tial subject for a haiku?


Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) was a Japanese haiku master and a teacher of poetry. He alsostudied Zen Buddhism and practiced meditation. In 1689 he grew unhappy with his role asa teacher, so he sold his house and began to travel. The result was a collection of writingsthat is his masterpiece, Narrow Road to the Far North.

Yosa Buson (1716–1783) was born near Osaka, Japan. He earned his living as a painterbut considered himself a poet. Buson produced several books of poems, including Lightfrom the Snow (1772) and A Crow at Dawn (1773).

Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827) was born in a small village in the mountains of Japan. Hewas raised by his grandmother. Issa’s poetry is filled with images of tiny creatures, especiallymice, lice, fleas, and ticks, as a result of his close observations of his natural surroundings.


art s m a r tSugawara no Michizane Composing a Poem, 1886. Buemon Akiyama Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.

Japanese prints of the Edo period (1603–1867) were called ukiyo-e, meaning literally “pictures ofthe floating world,” which evoke a carefree world of beauty and pleasure. Artists specialized in cer-tain subjects, such as travel images, beautiful women, or celebrated poets and actors. TsukiokaYoshitoshi (1839–1892) is best known for illustrating ghost stories and bizarre folk-tales, but herehe depicts Sugawara no Michizane—a ninth-century Japanese diplomat who became the shintogod of literature and calligraphy—composing a poem while observing nature. What qualities doukiyo-e prints share with haiku poetry?



Encourage students to also listsubjects other than nature aspossible inspiration for haiku. Whatother things might students observeto provide inspiration for haiku?


Checking Your Reading1. In Basho’s haiku, what jumps into

the pond? The frog jumps intothe pond.

2. In Buson’s haiku, what are thewaters like? The waters are quiet.

3. In Buson’s haiku, what time of dayis it? It is evening.

4. What season is reflected in Issa’shaiku? It is summer.

5. What are the stars doing in Issa’shaiku? The stars are whispering toeach other.

Reader’s Toolbox1. In what country did haiku

originate? Haiku originated inJapan.

2. Why do the poems in this selectiondiffer from the traditional format?The poems differ from thetraditional format because theyhave been translated intoEnglish, which affects thearrangement of syllables.

3. What is the most common subjectmatter for haiku, as demonstratedby these three poems? The mostcommon subject matter for haikuis nature.

ART SMART

Haiku poetry and ukiyo-e prints sharea style of simplicity and economy,and a calm, contemplative mood.

Armed with my book of Japanese kana1 and hercalculator-like word-finder, Junko and I sat at thedining room table and translated haiku—at least,we tried. I printed a transliterated2 version of thehaiku on the page in front of us and Junko readthrough it, her hand opening and closing as shecounted off the syllables with her fingers.

“Yes, haiku,” she said, when her fingers closedinto a fist at the end of the five-syllable last line.She scratched the poison ivy under her eye andbegan writing English words above theJapanese. Over the word ana she wrote “hole”and over ya she wrote a colon.

“Haiku very boring,” she said, opening hereyes wide as she always does when she isexcited. “But if you see in your mind—is okay.”

Above the syllable no she wrote “ ’s” butstumbled on the word in front of it. “Shoji,” shewhispered, “how say that.” Eyes wide, shetyped quickly into her word-finder. “Shoji likesliding door,” she mumbled, “but. . . .” Thenshe showed me the definition on her machine:“A sliding door with a piece of Japanese paperon a lattice.”

“Not good for Sam,” she added with a giggle.She brought her hand down in a mock karatechop and said, “Bam.”

“That’s for sure,” I said. She wrote “sliding door” and the word “then”

above the long first word in the first line and“milky way” above the last word in the poem.

“Ama-no-gawa,” I said in her language, halt-ingly, like a child—the word, not a word for me,but a plaything on my tongue.

“Mil-ky way,” she answered. “Yes.” After a half hour of poking around at this text,

our literal translation of Issa’s immortal haikulooked like this:

Then:Sliding door’s hole’s

Milky Way.

We both examined the sheet for a while, notsure what to do next — this was our first experi-ment in translating haiku, and the resultsseemed, well, meager.

“Words and meaning are very different,” shesaid, apologetically. “You must picture.”

Despairing of any verbal solution, she drew astick figure picture of a person under a windowwith a hole in the shade. Then she drew severallines from the hole to the man.

“Moonlight,” she said, still drawing thelines—as if the figure were bathed in it.“Moonlight.”

I looked back at her, puzzled, and pointed outthat there was no mention of moon in the poem.

“Always moon in haiku—if night, alwaysmoon. I sure.” She scratched the poison ivyagain just under the rim of her glasses. “Everypeoples in Japan know this shoji and thismoon,” she said. “I sure. Must picture moon.”

She looked at me and opened her eyes wideagain, as if I might look through them and seewhat she sees. For a moment we shared what islost in translation. ■


R E L A T E D R E A D I N G

fromSteven Harvey

1. kana. Japanese writing2. transliterated. Written in the characters of a different

alphabet

ABOUT THE RELATED READINGThis reading is a slice from the book, Lost inTranslation, a collection of essays in which SteveHarvey reflects on language and its importance ineveryday life. Harvey is a professor of English atYoung Harris College and is also the author of AGeometry of Lilies: Life and Death in an AmericanFamily.


LITERARY NOTE

Share with students that strugglingto translate meaning despitedifferent cultures and heritages isonly one of the translator’schallenges. When a translator workswith a poem that is rich in soundtechniques, such as rhyme, rhythm,alliteration, assonance, andonomatopoeia, these techniques arealmost always lost in translation. Thetranslator then faces a difficultchoice—he or she can experimentwith word choice and poetic form totry to preserve some of these soundtechniques, but in doing so he or shemay lose or alter some of the poem’sliteral meaning. Translators have tomake choices about what is mostimportant in the poem they aretranslating and how best to conveythis in another language. Askstudents to consider how thetranslation team in Lost in Translationmight best go about conveying the“moonlight” that is understood to allJapanese but may not be understoodby people of other cultures in theirtranslation?

H A I K U 673



1a. What change does the frog create in thehaiku by Basho?

2a. What time of day does the speakerdescribe in the haiku by Buson?

3a. What are the stars doing in the haiku byIssa?


4a. Compare and contrast these three haiku.How are they alike? What characteristicsdo they share? How are they different?


5a. Which haiku made the strongestimpression on you? What emotions did itevoke in you?


1b. How does this change seem eithersurprising or ordinary?

2b. Why might the speaker use thesedescriptions for that time of day?

3b. Why does the speaker say “even thestars”?


4b. What common views might the poetswho wrote these haiku share? What valuesmight they have in common?


5b. How does this haiku relate to you, yourlife, and your experiences? Whatsimilarities exist between it and modernpoems you have read, movies you havewatched, art you have seen, or scenes youhave witnessed?

HAIKU. A haiku is a traditional Japanese three-linepoem. It has five syllables in the first line, seven in thesecond line, and five in the third. A traditional haiku presents an image in order to arouse in thereader a specific emotional state. Why do you think haiku are so short? What does this formatcontribute to the poem’s imagery?

IMAGERY. An image is language that describes something that can be seen, heard, touched,tasted, or smelled. The images in a literary work are referred to, when considered altogether, asthe work’s imagery. These images are intended to create a particular emotion in the reader.What generalizations can you make about the imagery in these haiku? What generalizationscan you make about the emotions this imagery evokes?




RECALL1a. The frog jumps into the pond and

makes the sound of water.2a. The speaker describes evening.3a. The stars are whispering to each

other.

INTERPRET

1b. Responses will vary. Students maysay that the frog’s jumping into thepond isn’t unusual, but describingthe noise the frog makes as the“sound of water” is unusual andsurprising because it inspires thereader to think about the sound ofwater.

2b. Students may say that the speakeris trying to capture the stillness andthe coolness of evening withphrases like “misty grasses” and“quiet waters.”

3b. The speaker may be trying to implythat others are whispering—perhaps the wind or people.

ANALYZE4a. Students may say that they are alike

in that they all explore naturalscenes, and two of them focus inon a specific time of day. They allcontain vivid imagery and appeal tosight and sound. Students may saythat they are different in that theBasho haiku doesn’t mention aspecific time of day unlike theothers; some of them featureanimals, while others do not; somepersonify nature and others do not.

SYNTHESIZE4b. Students might suggest that all

three poets probably appreciatednature greatly and respected it. Itseems they found peace andserenity in quietly observing nature.

EVALUATE5a. Responses will vary.

EXTEND

5b. Responses will vary.

HAIKU. Students may suggest that haiku are so short soas to better present the reader with one distinct pictureof scene to draw a very specific emotional state relatedto that scene. The brevity of the poems heightens theintensity of the imagery; they are compact and thereader must pause for a moment to experience them.

IMAGERY. Students may say all the images are related insome way to nature. Students may say that theemotions seem to be related to ways people react tonature—with surprised delight or with pleasure intranquillity.



SkillBuildersLanguage, Grammar,and StyleEXAMINING TRANSLATIONS. At alocal library, search for differentcollections of translated haiku. The followingis a list of some books you may want to find.The Essential Basho, by Matsuo Basho,

translated by Sam Hamill The Spring of My Life and Selected Haiku, by

Kobayashi Issa, translated by Sam Hamill The Narrow Road to Oku, by Matsuo Basho,

translated by Donald KeeneThe Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and

Issa, edited and translated by Robert HassTry to find different variations of the sameoriginal poems. In what ways do the transla-tions differ from one another? What wordsgenerally remain the same? Which translationdo you like the best? Why?

Study and ResearchORIGINS OF HAIKU. Using libraryresources, research early haikuwriters. Try to determine the cul-

tural surroundings from which haikuemerged. What was happening in Japaneseculture around the same time Japanese poetsbegan writing haiku? How did haiku changethrough time? Write a short summary of yourfindings on the history of haiku.

VocabularyJAPANESE WORDS. Look up the fol-lowing words, all of which comefrom the Japanese language, in astandard English dictionary. Then write out thedefinition, part of speech, pronunciation, andorigin of each word. If you need to review theparts of a dictionary entry, review the LanguageArts Survey 1.17, “Using a Dictionary.”

Writer’s Journal1. Write a haiku that reveals something about how you view the world around

you. Create this poem for a person who is close to you.

2. Imagine you are compiling a collection of haiku for a book. Write a promotional blurbfor the back cover of the book, explaining why the book will intrigue poetry readers.

3. Write instructions for a photographer whose assignment is to go out and shoot picturesto accompany each of these three haiku on posters. Be as specific as possible.

1. teriyakidefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

2. kamikazedefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

3. kimonodefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

4. ginkgodefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

5. kakemonodefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

6. karatedefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

7. dojodefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:

8. karaokedefinition:part of speech:pronunciation:origin:



Language, Grammar, and StyleIt might be easiest for students to combthrough these sources to find differenttranslations of the same poems if theywork in small groups. You might askyour school or local library to put thesebooks on reserve so that students canexamine these books while in thelibrary but cannot check them out. Thatway no one group can spoil othergroups’ chances of completing theirresearch.

Study and ResearchRefer students to the Language ArtsSurvey 5.18, “How to Locate LibraryMaterials,” before they begin thisactivity. Students might find referenceworks, including various literaryreference books, to be helpful for thisassignment. Anthologies of worldliterature may also prove helpful, as willbooks on haiku and the history ofJapan.

Vocabulary1. teriyaki

definition: Japanese dish consisting ofmeat or fish marinated in spiced soysauce and broiled, grilled, or barbecuedpart of speech: nounter e yä ke origin: [Jpn < teri, nominal form of teru,to shine + yaki, nominal form of yaku,to broil: so called because the saucemakes the meat or fish shiny]2. kamikaze

definition: pertaining to a suicidalattack by Japanese airplane pilotsduring World War IIpart of speech: adjectivekä me kä zaorigin: [[Jpn, lit., divine wind kami, god+ kaze, the wind]3. kimono

definition: robe with wide sleeves and asash, part of the traditional costume ofJapanese men and womenpart of speech: nounke mo noorigin: [Jpn ki (kiru, to wear) + mono,thing]4. ginkgo

definition: Asiatic tree with fan-shapedleaves and yellow, foul-smelling seedsenclosing a silvery edible inner kernelpart of speech: noungen kyoorigin: [Jpn ginkyo < Sino-Jpn gin, silver+ kyo, apricot]5. kakemono

definition: Japanese silk or paperhanging or scroll with an inscription orpicture on it and rollers at the top andbottompart of speech: nounkä ka mo noorigin: [Jpn kake, to hang + mono, thing]

ANSWERS TO SKILL BUILDERS (CONT.)

6. karatedefinition: Japanese system of self-defense charac-terized chiefly by sharp, quick blows delivered with thehands and feetpart of speech: nounkä rä t aorigin: [Jpn, lit., prob. kara, empty + te, hand]

7. dojodefinition: studio or room in which martial arts are taughtpart of speech: noundo joorigin: [Jpn]


F O R Y O U R R E A D I N G L I S T 675

Loss must be the one truly universal experience. From themoment we are born and must leave the safe, warm, andcomforting environment of the womb to begin our jour-ney through this life, we experience loss. In her introduc-tion to What Have You Lost? Naomi Shihab Nye saysthat she once walked into the classroom where her“unruly” students waited and said, simply, “What haveyou lost? Write it down.” Her students all picked up pensand pencils and began to fill pages, heads bent, absorbedin the question. It is a question for which we all have along answer.

What Have You Lost?, edited by Naomi Shihab Nye, is ananthology of poetry about loss—lost toys and lost brothers,lost love, the lost certainty and security of early childhood,the lost familiarity of a grandfather’s big car and the scent of his Old Spice cologne, and more. Nyecollected these poems for years as she wondered about the way loss affects us, causes us to rethinkwhat we still have, and perhaps helps us to take better care of what remains. The accompanyingphotographs by Michael Nye, portraits of ordinary people like each of us, remind us that loss issomething we all know.

COMPILE YOUR OWN POETRY ANTHOLOGYNaomi Shihab Nye chose poems for her anthology that held a special meaning for her per-sonally. What poems have you read that made you stop and think? Which ones seemed toexpress your own feelings? Which ones made you laugh? Which made you cry? Whichpoems seemed written just for you? Think back over the poetry you have read over the yearsand compile your own personal poetry anthology. You may want to review your textbooksand other volumes of poetry you have read to select those poems that have touched you ina personal way. If you have written poetry yourself, include some of your own work as well.After selecting several poems, consider the following:• Is there a theme or a common thread to the poetry I have chosen? What title for my

anthology does this suggest?• How should I write my introduction, explaining when I first read each poem, and why it

is significant to me?• How might I illustrate my anthology? What art or photography would complement and

enhance my work?• How will I bind the anthology? (Consider the use of a notebook or binder that will allow

you to add additional poetry in the future.)

Other books you may want to read:How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward HirschCool Melons—Turn to Frogs!: The Life and Poems of Issa, ed. by Matthew Gollub

for yourREADING LIST


ANSWERS TO SKILL BUILDERS (CONT.)

8. karaokeorigin: [Jpn do jo, fr. do, way, art + jo, ground]definition: a machine that plays the instrumentalportion of songs, allowing the user to sing the lyricsinto a microphonepart of speech: noun

pronunciation: kä rä o k aorigin: [Jpn, lit, kara, empty + oke, shortened fromokesutura, orchestra: “empty orchestra”]

For Your Reading ListWhat Have You Lost?, edited byNaomi Shihab Nye, offers bothhumorous and serious poems aboutloss that will appeal to young adultreaders. Hazel Rochman, writing forBooklist in April 1999, notes, “as Nyepoints out in her splendidintroduction, one reason why wefuss so much about petty losses isbecause we cannot bear to face theinevitable larger ones that can neverbe redeemed or reclaimed.”Rochman goes on to say that Englishteachers will find this an importantresource to stimulate students’writing. The alternate selectionslisted on page 675 include How toRead a Poem and Fall in Love withPoetry by Edward Hirsch and CoolMelons—Turn to Frogs!: The Life andPoems of Issa, ed. by MatthewGolub. Students will be intrigued byboth poetry collections—one whichprovides a broad overview of poetryand the other which looks at the lifeof a master of the haiku.

Compile Your Own PoetryAnthologyThis activity can serve as anadditional or alternate assessment tothe preparatory work students willdo for the Unit 9 Test. As studentsprepare to create their own poetryanthology, have them read thefollowing sections in the LanguageArts Survey: 1.3, “Reading Literature:Educating Your Imagination,” 1.4,“Educating Your Imagination as anActive Reader,” 1.5 “Keeping aReader’s Journal,” 1.6, “ReadingSilently versus Reading Out Loud,”1.7, “Reading with a Book Club orLiterature Circle,” and 1.8,“Guidelines for Discussing Literaturein a Book Club.” See the GuidedReading Resource 1.3–1.8 in theTeacher’s Resource Kit for blacklinemasters of worksheets that will helpstudents work these concepts morethoroughly. Refer them also to theLanguage Arts Survey 4.8,“Communicating in a Small Group”and 4.13, “Collaborative Learningand Communication,” if theyprepare their anthology as a smallgroup project.

676 U N I T N I N E

CREATING A LYRIC POEMBlundering, backward day Red clouds and a purple smile A sigh, a kite, a fighting fly Waiting for the wind to wash us clean

You can almost sing these words, for they hold the imagery,sounds, and rhythm of lyrics. If you have ever written words to asong, you have come close to writing lyric poetry.

Writing AssignmentA lyric poem is a highly musical verse that expresses theemotions of a speaker. Rather than tell a story, the lyric poemexpresses a state of mind, a thought, or a feeling. It captures amoment in time. This form lets you play with language, withthe rich sounds and meanings of words. In this assignment, youwill write a lyric poem about a feeling.

Examining the ModelIn “Blackberry Eating,” Kinnell captures a moment in time pickingand eating blackberries. Words and phrases like “I love to go out”and “the ripest berries fall almost unbidden to my tongue” expressthe speaker’s thoughts or feelings. But the speaker doesn’t stopthere. He notices something else. The berries remind him ofpeculiar words that come to his mouth without thinking, and hecompares these words to “one-syllabled lumps” that he squishes inthe “icy, black language” of berry eating.

Comparisons and images like these help the reader experienceand understand the thoughts Kinnell is describing. So does themusical language. Read these lines aloud and listen foralliteration, or repetition of initial consonant sounds:

blackberries for breakfastthe stalks very prickly, a penaltywhich I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well

What examples of alliteration can you find in Kinnell’s poem?If you overuse alliteration, it can take away from the meaning inyour poem. But if you use it to emphasize important ideas, itcan add a strong, musical element to your writing.

Professional Model“Blackberry Eating” by GalwayKinnell, page 635

I love to go out in lateSeptember

among the fat, overripe, icy,black blackberries

to eat blackberries for breakfast,the stalks very prickly, a penaltythey earn for knowing the

black artof blackberry-making; and as I

stand among themlifting the stalks to my mouth,

the ripest berriesfall almost unbidden to my

tongue,as words sometimes do, certain

peculiar wordslike strengths or squinched,many-lettered, one-syllabled

lumps,which I squeeze, squinch open,

and splurge wellin the silent, startled, icy, black

languageof blackberry-eating in late

September.

EXPRESSIVE/IMAGINATIVE WRITING

Writing poems can be

a way of pinning down

a dream (almost);

capturing a moment,

a memory, ahappening; and, at

the same time, it’s a

way of sorting out

your thoughts and

feelings.—Lillian Morrison


LESSON OVERVIEW

CREATING A LYRIC POEM

Professional Model, 676Examining the Model, 676Prewriting, 677Finding Your Voice, 677Identifying Your Audience, 677Brainstorming, 677Writing with a Plan, 677Student Model—Graphic Organizer,

678Drafting, 678Self- and Peer Evaluation, 679Student Model—Draft, 679Revising and Proofreading, 680Student Model—Revised, 680Publishing and Presenting, 681Reflecting, 681

Language, Grammar, and StylePRONOUN/ANTECEDENT AGREEMENTIdentifying Pronoun/Antecedent

Agreement, 678Fixing Pronoun/Antecedent

Agreement, 679Using Pronoun/Antecedent

Agreement, 680

See the GuidedWriting Software for

an extended version of thislesson that includes printablegraphic organizers, extensivestudent models and student-friendly checklists, and self-,peer, and teacher evaluationfeatures.

GUIDED WRITINGS o f t w a r e

Examining the Model

You might have students fill out aSensory Details Chart for theProfessional Model to identify thedescriptive details used in the poem.Point out the simile “the ripestberries fall almost unbidden to my tongue, as words sometimes do.. . .” Encourage students to usefigurative language in their ownpoem.

G U I D E D W R I T I N G 677

PrewritingFINDING YOUR VOICE. A lyric poem usually represents the voice ofthe author, but it can also be the voice of another character.Whether you choose to use your personal voice or that of afictional speaker, make the voice real and intense so thethoughts and emotions come alive. Since a lyric poem is highlymusical, it gives you an opportunity to allow your voice to playwith the language through word choice, sound, rhythm,structure, tone, and style.

IDENTIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE. Because a lyric poem expresses thepersonal thoughts and emotions of you, the author, you mightbe the most immediate audience for your own poem. Yet themusical nature of a lyric poem invites the poem to be read andshared out loud. Consider your classmates or others who wouldenjoy your subject as your audience, too.

BRAINSTORMING. Often, when writers describe a general state ofbeing, they find that words like surprised, confused, annoyed,jealous, sad, and happy will do the job. But to create a moreintense experience, you will need to go beyond these vaguewords and appeal to the reader’s senses with specific details.

Pick a feeling and list sensory details for it. Copy the fivesenses onto your paper and write words and phrases under eachthat describe your feeling.

Sight: If you could see your word, what color would it be?What shape? What size? List words or phrases comparing yourword to something you can see.

Taste: If you could taste your word, what would it taste like?

Touch: If you could touch your word, what would it feel like?What is its texture?

Smell: If you could smell your word, what would it smell like?

Sound: If you could hear your word, what would it sound like?How loud would it be?

Now think back on a moment when you felt your word.Maybe you were riding on a Ferris wheel with your best friend.The rain came and your friend started shrieking. You looked outat the city, through the downpour, wet and shaking, looked atyour friend, and you suddenly realized you were glad. Maybeyou remember a time you saw a woman pull a tattered walletfrom her purse, and there was something in that moment thatmade you feel melancholy.

Write what that moment was like, using descriptions andcomparisons that appeal to one or more of the five senses.

WRITING WITH A PLAN. Thepower of poetry is in itsconcentrated language. Thatmeans explanations anddescriptions are condensedinto a few words or phrases.For example, in his poem“Blackberry Eating,” GalwayKinnell could have said:

The stalks of blackberriesare very prickly becausethat’s the price they payfor being able to dosomething as mysteriousand amazing as the art ofmaking blackberries.

But this explanation lacks thepower of Kinnell’sconcentrated language:

the stalks very prickly, a penalty

they earn for knowing the black art

of blackberry-making . . .

One way to condenselanguage is to make compar-isons, because comparisonsoffer a quick way to commu-nicate a lot of information. Asimile is a comparison usinglike or as. When you say, “Theshortstop’s double-play waslike a dance,” you are using asimile to compare one qualityof a double-play to dancing.When you simply say, “Theshortstop’s double-play was a dance,” you create ametaphor. A metaphor is afigure of speech in which onething is spoken or writtenabout as if it were another. Inpoetry, similes and metaphorsare an essential way tocommunicate fresh andunusual connections in just afew words.



MOTIVATIONIntroduce students to TheAmerican Academy of PoetsWeb site at http://www.poets.org.Select a lyric poem in the ListeningBooth that you think students willlike. Have students listen to the poetread his or her poem while they readalong. Then ask students to identifycharacteristics that make the poemlyrical.

READING PROFICIENCY

Have students read theLanguage Arts Survey 1.5, “Keepinga Reader’s Journal.” Ask students torecord their reactions to the poemthey listened to in Motivation above


and to the Professional Model. Encourage students toread the Professional Model and Student Model outloud to get a sense of how the language sounds asthey work through the lesson. Refer them to theLanguage Arts Survey 1.6, “Reading Silently versusReading Out Loud.”

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNINGSee strategies for Reading Proficiency above thatwill also benefit students who are English languagelearners. You might want non-native speakers tobring in a poem in their native language and write areader’s journal entry about it. English language


Prewriting

FINDING YOUR VOICE. Review thedefinition of speaker with students.The speaker is the voice that speaks,or narrates, a poem. Encouragestudents to read the Language ArtsSurvey 2.5, “Finding Your Voice,”and 3.3, “Register, Tone, and Voice.”Ask students to identify the voicethey intend on using and to write iton the same page as their graphicorganizer.

IDENTIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE. Havestudents read the Language ArtsSurvey 2.4, “Identifying YourAudience.” If you plan to havestudents read their poems to theclass upon completion of theassignment, encourage students tothink of their peers as their audience.However, to avoid possible self-censoring, which can happen ifstudents worry how their thoughtswill be perceived, you may want togive them the option of keepingintensely personal expression private.

BRAINSTORMING. Students mightexamine additional professionalmodels to get ideas for their SensoryDetails Chart. Have them read theLanguage Arts Survey 2.10,“Learning from Professional Models.”

WRITING WITH A PLAN. If you haven’talready done so, point out the similein the Professional Model. Studentsmight benefit from doing a focusedfreewrite about their selected feelingword and moment when they felttheir word. Have students read theLanguage Arts Survey 2.12,“Freewriting.”

http://www.poets.org

Aaron, whose word was contentment, wrote: “Walking in thewoods near my home on a hot summer day, through dappledlight and sword ferns, the air smells blue.” His sentence containsspecific images the reader can see. There is also a metaphorcomparing the woods to a “blue smell.”

Jamel chose loneliness. He wrote, “Metallic clouds hung overthe November day as I sat alone.” Jamel uses a metaphorcomparing the clouds to metal. This comparison suggests thequalities of something hard, flat and gray, like loneliness.

Sarah chose baffled as her feeling and used the graphicorganizer below for her prewriting.

Student Model—Graphic Organizer

DraftingThe beginning of a poem is hidden in your prewriting—all youhave to do is find it. You can use the sentence or sentences youjust wrote to begin your poem or you can think of another timewhen you experienced your word.

678 U N I T N I N E

“When describing

things, forget about

what they look like

for a while. Don’t tell

me what it looks like,

tell me what is smells

or sounds like.”

—Martyn Godfrey

Language,Grammar,and StylePRONOUN/

ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Pronouns must always agreewith their ante-cedents. Thatmeans pronouns must havethe same gender and numberas the word or words to whichthey refer.

GENDER AGREEMENT

• When the antecedent ismasculine, the pronoun ismasculine:

Jim got his license today.

• When the antecedent isfeminine, the pronoun isfeminine:

The girl found her cat.

• When the antecedent isneutral, use the pronounsit or its:

One fish had lost its fin.

• When the antecedent is aword that could stand forboth men and women, themasculine pronoun or boththe masculine and femininepronoun can be used:

Sight Taste

baffled

Smell

Sound

Touch

baffled is the colorblue with a littlebit of yellowswirling in it

a heron looks like afire that can’tdecide whetherto keep burningor not

greasy chickencool juicea pomegranatesweet and sour pork

like a topographicmap

bumpyslimy watermelon

seedsthe rough edges of a

dull knife

the bustle of a crowdcars in the distancethe wind

wood shavingscar exhaustalmost moldy cheese


GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

See the Guided Writing Resource fora blackline master of the GraphicOrganizer for this lesson.

Language, Grammar, and Style

Pronoun/Antecendent AgreementLESSON OVERVIEWIn this lesson, students will be askedto do the following:• Identify Pronoun/Antecedent

Agreement, 678• Fix Pronoun/Antecedent

Agreement, 679• Use Pronoun/Antecedent

Agreement, 680

INTRODUCING THE SKILL. Point out thatmaking pronouns and antecedentsagree is something that even adultshave to think about. Tell studentsthat readers get confused when thepronoun does not agree with itsantecedent. You might need todefine “antecedent” for students; theantecedent is the noun that thepronoun references. Tell studentsthat number refers to singular andplural.

PREVIEWING THE SKILL. Refer studentsto the Language Arts Survey 3.43,“Getting Pronouns and Antecedentsto Agree.” Have students identify aproblem with pronoun/antecedentagreement in the Student Model—Draft.

PRACTICING THE SKILL. For additionalpractice, have students workthrough the exercise in the followingsection of the Language, Grammar,and Style Resource located in theTeacher’s Resource Kit: 3.43,“Getting Pronouns and Antecedentsto Agree.”

Drafting

Tell students to use their completed GraphicOrganizer modeled on page 678. Have students writea discovery draft in which they do not focus onspelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics. Studentsmight benefit from reading the Language Arts Survey

2.31, “Drafting.” Point out to students that in writingtheir poem they are doing descriptive writing.Students might read the Language Arts Survey 2.36,“Writing Description, Dialogue, Narrative, andExposition.”


Whatever moment you pick for your word, you will find manydescriptive words and comparisons from your prewriting thatyou can use in your poem. You will also think of others as youwrite your first draft.

In every line, put strong images that appeal to the sense ofsight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Expand on some of yourmetaphors. Instead of saying, “I felt purple,” you could say, “Ifelt purple the way a person feels when he comes home at nightand finds nobody there.”

Don’t focus on line breaks or rhythm at this point.Concentrate on showing your reader what that moment felt likewithout naming your word. Let your images show the readerwhat you mean.

Self- and Peer EvaluationAfter you have a rough draft of your poem, read it aloud severaltimes. This helps you hear the music of the lines. If you can, getsomeone else to read it aloud as well. See the Language ArtsSurvey 2.37 for more details about self- and peer evaluation. Asyou evaluate your poem, ask yourself these questions:• What is the moment described in the lyric poem?• What feelings or thoughts are expressed in the poem? What

words communicate this feeling?• Find images that appeal to the senses. Which images are the

strongest? Which are the weakest? Why?• Which lines or phrases sound musical? Which are lacking in

lyrical sound or rhythm? How could these lines beimproved?

• Where might the rhythm or meaning benefit from breakingthe line?

• Where has the writer used repetition of sound to emphasizemeaning? Where else could the writer repeat sounds orrhythms to emphasize meaning?

• Find any places where the pronoun does not match theantecedent. What word or line changes will fix this problem?

Student Model—DraftSarah drafted a poem from her prewriting about a time whenshe looked at a bird and wondered why things are the way theyare. Note that she never used the word baffled. Instead, she lether descriptive images and metaphors explain her thoughts.

Based on her self-evaluation comments and comments fromone of her classmates, Sarah made changes to her poem.

A heron, like all birds, cocks their

heads to one side and I wonder

continued on page 680

Anybody who wants tobring his or her ownchairs may do so.

Someone lost his jacketafter the game.

NUMBER AGREEMENT

• When the antecedent isplural, use plural pronounsto refer to it:

Several of the studentshad to share their books.

• The pronouns any, some,all, and none may beeither singular or plural,depending on how theyare used:

Singular: All of the pagewas marked in its margins.

Plural: All of the riderswore their helmets.

• When an antecedent issingular, no matter if it isfollowed by aprepositional phrasecontaining a plural noun,use a singular pronoun:

Everyone in the women’squartets received her letter.

• When two or moresingular antecedents areconnected by or or nor,they should be referred toby a singular pronoun:

Neither Sam, Jack, nor Edhas finished his pizza.

IDENTIFYING PRONOUN/ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT.Finding and fixing pronoun-antecedent problems insentences requires that you findthe antecedent first and then

agreement?its

Adding a linebreak wouldemphasizeyourthoughts


Self- and Peer Evaluation

Have students use the checklist onpage 679 for self- and peerevaluation. See the Guided WritingResource 7.9 located in the Teacher’sResource Kit for a blackline master ofthe self- and peer evaluationchecklist. The checklist is intended toact as a student-friendly rubric thatshould help students identify specificevidence of writing strengths andareas needing improvement. Makesure students provide concretesuggestions for improvement orspecific evidence of the effectivenessof the lyric poem. It might helpstudents to evaluate their peer’spoem by reading it out loud. Peerevaluators might be interested inusing common proofreader’ssymbols, which are found in theLanguage Arts Survey 2.44, “UsingProofreader’s Marks.”

Bibliographic Note

You may be interested in consultingthe following works for more ideasabout teaching students how towrite poetry:

Lehman, David, ed. EcstaticOccasions, Expedient Forms: 85Leading Contemporary Poets Select &Comment on Their Poems. AnnArbor: University of Michigan Press.

Oliver, Mary. A Poetry Handbook.New York: Harcourt, Brace, & Co.

Padgett, Ron, ed. Handbook of PoeticForms. New York: Teachers &Writers Collaborative.

Tsujimoto, Joseph I. Teaching PoetryWriting to Adolescents. NCTE/ERIC.

Teaching Note

Have students compare the StudentModel—Draft on page 679 with thefinal version presented on page 681.Ask students to respond to thefollowing questions: Whatimprovements did Sarah make in herpoem? Is there any way the finalversion could still be improved?


learners may need special help understanding the useof figurative language used in poetry, such as the simile used in the Professional Model. These studentsmight be persuaded to share a poem with the class intheir native language.

SPECIAL NEEDSStudents with special needs may need helpcompleting their Graphic Organizer. Pair them with aproficient student who can help them work throughthe cluster chart on page 678.

ENRICHMENTYou might have students find a published poemthat centers on one feeling. Have students fillout a Sensory Details Chart to identify thedescriptive details used in the poem. Studentsmay wish to work their own poemscollaboratively into a performance piece or toprepare their work for publication.

track down the pronounreferring to it. In poetry, thismight mean you have tobacktrack through severallines of poetry before you findthe antecedent. Then check ifthey agree in gender andnumber.

Consider the followingsentences. Which pronounsare correct and which needchanging?

Nobody expected to findhis or her books at the mall.

One of the people at thedance left their coat.

Mary or June will usetheir own phone to callyou back.

FIXING PRONOUN/ANTECEDENT

AGREEMENT. Find the pronoun-antecedent problem in Sarah’sfirst draft of her poem. Howwould you fix it? In poetry, awriter may choose to attachgender qualities to animalsand objects. To fix thepronoun-antecedent problemin her poem, Sara could use itbecause heron is a neutralword or she could use he orshe to be more personal.USING PRONOUN/ANTECEDENT

AGREEMENT. Read throughyour poem draft searching forpronouns. Underline them.Now scan backward lookingfor the words to which theyrefer. Circle these. Do thepronouns and antecedentsagree in gender and number?Correct any problems so thatyour reader will be able tofollow your poem withoutbeing confused by disagree-ment between pronouns andtheir antecedents.

Why does a bird fly or does anything

happen at all?

My questions are the sound of a crowd,

a hustle and bustle

the rough edges of a dull knife

like the smell of wood shavings mixed

with exhaust and like almost-moldy

cheese

sweet and sour pork, a pomegranate over

ripe,

confused a fire fading

Revising and ProofreadingBased on your self- and peer evaluations, make changes to yourdraft. Add details, delete extra words, and play with line breaks.What happens when you put a word at the end of a line? Doesthe word become more or less noticeable? What about thesound of your poem? Trust your ear to tell you when you need ashorter word or a longer line. Change words to fit a rhythm thatmatches your meaning.

Before you print your final copy, read over your draft for errorsin spelling, punctuation, and grammar. In poetry, you are oftendealing with lines instead of sentences, so capitalization andpunctuation become a matter of choice. However you decide tocapitalize or punctuate, stick to a pattern from start to finish sothat your format is clear to the reader.

Student Model—RevisedAfter listening to her poem many times and playing with thelanguage until she was satisfied that the words, sounds, andrhythm in her poem reflected her thoughts, Sarah completedher final draft.

680 U N I T N I N E

good rhythm

slow this downby adding linebreaks

good alliteration!

this would make a good ending

I like the way you mixed up so

many images-They are like

your questions-mixed up and

confused

this is wordyand not verysmooth


Revising and Proofreading

Remind students that revisingincludes adding or expanding,cutting or condensing, replacing,and moving text. Have students readthe Language Arts Survey 2.41,“Revising.” A handout of theproofreading checklist found in theLanguage Arts Survey on 888 isavailable in the Teacher’s ResourceKit, Guided Writing Resource 2.45.


Baffled

A heron cocks his head to one side and

I wonder

Why does a bird fly?

Why does anything happen at all?

My questions are the sound of a crowd,

a hustle and bustle

the rough edges of a dull knife

the smell of wood shavings, exhaust, or

almost-moldy cheese

sweet and sour pork,

a pomegranate

over ripe,

confused

a fire

fading

Publishing and PresentingPoetry is best when shared either out loud or as a printed piece ofart. To share your poetry out loud, consider reading to a smallgroup of students. Or consider an audio or videotape reading thatcould be shared over an audio or audiovisual resource at yourschool. To publish your poem as a work of art, create a small posterby printing the poem in a way that suggests the content and thefeeling of the poem. Add art, designs, or colors that also draw outthe ideas in the poem. You may want to publish your poem in theschool newspaper or literary supplement or to share it.

ReflectingPoetry asks you to look at and think about things in a uniqueway. Simile, metaphor, imagery, rhythm, and sound becomethinking, viewing, and listening tools for communicatingthoughts and emotions. The use of some of these tools maycome easily; the use of others may require you to expand yourthinking.

How might your thinking develop as you employ simile andmetaphor in your thoughts and writing? What growth mightoccur from focusing on imagery? How might considering thesound and rhythm of your language increase the value of yourcommunication?

As you speak and write, try little experiments using simile,metaphor, imagery, rhythm, and sound. Then reflect on thechanges you see in your communication and the effect thesechanges have on others.

“For me poems

usually begin with

‘true things’—people,

experiences,

quotes—but quickly

ride off into that

other territory of

imagination…”

—Naomi Shihab Nye

“A poem must be felt

to be understood, and

before it can be felt it

must be heard.”

—Stanley Kunitz


Publishing and Presenting

You might have students presenttheir poems to the class. Encouragestudents to practice the poem usingthe volume, pitch, gestures, andfacial expressions they feel bestexpress the meaning of their poem.Some students might want tomemorize their poem. Refer studentsto the Language Arts Survey 4.19,“Oral Interpretation of Poetry.” Youmight suggest that writers of thebest poems submit them to a reviewfor publication.

Reflecting

Encourage students to respond tothe questions in this section in theirjournal or to discuss the questions insmall groups.

682 U N I T N I N E R E V I E W

GenreThe selections in this unit give you a broad overview of the different forms poetry can take andof the different tools poets use to create certain effects. Look back at the poems in the unit.Which poem or poems do you like the best? What poetic tools do you find most effective? Forexample, do you appreciate rhyme and rhythm more than other aspects of poetry? Do youlike free verse best? Write a brief essay about your favorite poems and why you like them.

Review: Words for Everyday UseCheck your knowledge of the following vocabulary words. Choose ten of these words that youwould like to incorporate into your own daily language. For each word, write a short sentencethat includes that word in context. To review a word, look back to the page number(s) indicated.

• benign (631)• blunder (657)• clod (651)• concede (614)• crevice (665)• dismay (657)

• extraneous (621)• high-strung (621)• insistent (614)• luminous (626)• peril (631)• plunge (658)

• reel (658)• saucy (621)• splurge (635)• sunder (658)• translucency (621)• wariness (614)

Review: Literary ToolsDefine each of the following terms, giving concrete examples when possible. To review aterm, refer to the page number(s) indicated.

• aim (650)• alliteration (630, 634)• assonance (630, 650)• concrete poem (625)• dialogue (645)• figure of speech (613, 664)• flashback (650)• free verse (613)• haiku (669)

• image (613, 619)• imagery (613, 619, 625,669)• irony (619)• lyric poem (661, 664)• metaphor (664)• narrative poem (656)• onomatopoeia (634)• personification (619)

• personification (664)• repetition (638, 656)• rhyme (638)• rhythm (630)• simile (664)• suspense (656)• symbol (645, 661)

UNIT NINEreview

Reflectingon yourreading




• Unit Review• Unit 9 Study Guide• Unit 9 Test

Reflecting on Your Reading

The Genre and Theme questions aresuitable to assign as essay promptsto help students prepare for the UnitTest. (To evaluate student writing,see the evaluation forms for writing,revising, and proofreading in theAssessment Resource.)

The Genre and Theme questionscan also be adapted for use as topicsfor oral reports or debates. Referstudents to the Language Arts Survey4, Speaking and Listening. (Toevaluate these projects, use thePublic Speaking Evaluation Form inthe Assessment Resource.)

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT. Givestudents the following exercise.

Write a poem that incorporatesten words from the list on page 682.Then, with a partner, practicereading your poems aloud, payingattention to the correctpronunciation of the new vocabularywords.

ThemeThe poems in this unit all highlight unique ideas and all have very different themes. Choosetwo poems from the unit and reflect on their themes. Begin by asking yourself the followingquestions:• What is the poem about? What is its topic or subject? • How does the title of the poem reflect its subject matter? How does it reflect a main idea,

or theme?• What does the poem say or imply about the subject or topic?

On Your OwnDesign a poster for your classroom or hallway, using one of the poems from this unit.Include on the poster the poem written out, the title and name of the author, and imagesthat you feel complement the poem. You may want to use photographs, textures, painting,drawing, or other mediums to create the effect you want.

Group ProjectHold a classroom poetry reading, with each member of your class participating. Each stu-dent may choose a poem to recite to the class. To select a poem, you may choose one fromthis unit, from a book you have at home, or from a library book. Ask the librarian in yourschool or local library for help if needed. After you have selected your poem, read it aloudseveral times to learn it well. Then, work on your interpretation of the poem. Rehearse yourreading, concentrating on volume, pace, emotion, voice, and body language. For moreinformation, see the Language Arts Survey 4.19, “Oral Interpretation of Poetry.”

U N I T N I N E R E V I E W 683


Reflecting on Your Reading(CONT.)

The Group Project activity can alsoprovide an additional or alternateassessment to the Unit 5 Test. Askstudents to tie in the insights theyhave gained from their research tothe literature selections they haveread in this unit. (To evaluate groupand project work, see the evaluationforms in the Assessment Resource4.10–4.12.)

unit 9

Documents

naomi shihab nye

soaked monkey suit

individual learning strategies

harlem renaissance party

falling dying flake

big hirsute begonia

peter piper picked

guided reading questions1