ELA Unit 5 G8

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Whm& remKes & POEM?

Have you ever tried to write a poem? lf so, you probably had to think
about what a poem is. ls it lines that rhyme? Pictures painted with
words? Toe-tapping rhythms? A poem can be all of these things-or
none of them.

ACTIVITY Poetry is everywhere-in our favorite songs, the nursery
rhymes we read as children, and even in some television commercials.
with a partner, make a list of poems that you have read or heard.
Then answer the following questions:

. Did you find poetry in any unexpected places?
. What do these Poems have in common?
. How do the words create mental pictures?

. .l Do these poems rhyme, or have rhythm?

,,Once you've answered these questions, see if youcan.define.9,Po-em.

COMMON

TEXT . ldentify and analyze figurative language

ANALYSTS : ;:llil::: ;:il1Jffi'j,'I:::"' mean ng

. ldentify, analyze, and compare rhyme schemes
. ldentify and compare themes

r a n d t h e i r effects

: :"THIfl : "1?:i:in:lH, : :.l,re

READTNG

. ffl[1T' ffi;o'ff:::'""'

WillTlNS AFIItr . Write an online feature article

LANGUACE

: :;:ilffi:olll],n,n, in verb voice

.:ri,$efr,.i..ilBqii'r,i,il rii,flqitir Use multimedia elements to clarify information

i" I $,'tr *,j-",m t

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.VOCABUTARY Use knowledge of Latin roots to help determine word meaning

ACADEMIC .attitude .create .emphasis
VOCABUTARY .mental
.style

i COMMONCORE Appreciating Poetry

lnciuded in this workshop; The poet Robert Frost once said that a poem "begins in delight and ends in wisdom."
While many poems are entertaining, a poem can also have the power to change how
RL 4 Determine the meaning you see the world. Whether it follows a set pattern or bends all the rules, each poem
uses language in a new way to communicate its message.
ofwords and phrases,
including figurative and Part 1: The Basics
connotative meanings; analyze
the impact of word choices What do you see when you look at a poem? One difference between a poem
on meaning and tone. and a short story is the form, or the structure of the writing. AII poems are
R[ 5 Compare and contrast broken up into lines. The length of each line and where it breaks, or ends,
texts and analyze how the contribute to the poem's meaning and sound. Lines often appear in groups, or
differing structure of each text stanzas. The stanzas work together to convey the overall message of the poem.
contributes to its meaning and
style. Some poems follow the rules of a traditional form. For example, a poem
might have a specific number of lines and stanzas or a regular pattern of rhythm
and rhyme. Other poems are unconventional, with no recognizable patterns.
A poet might even choose to use incorrect grammar or spelling to create a
particular sound or to emphasize meaning.

Just as a story has a narrator, a poem has a voice that "talks" to readers.
This voice, or speaker, is sometimes a fictional character rather than the poet.

Take a look at the following poems. Which is traditional? Which is
unconventional? Which one has a distinct speaker?

from "The Geese" from "Stteet Corner Flight"

Poem by Richard Peck Poem by Norma Landa Flores

My father was the first to hear From this side . . .
The passage of the geese each fall, of their concrete barrio

Passing above the house so near two small boys hold
fat white pigeons
He'd hear within his heart their call.

And then at breakfast time he'd say: trapped in their trembling hands. a, . .lur:il .:i:llril,i
"The geese were heading south last :.,r,ii:.;lil:.r:i.,,',,iirr:
1,1 Then,
nighr," gently, - 1... I
not disturbing .,:i]r Lii... l,
For he had lain awake till day,
l'ru+lt+: I

Feeling his earthbound soul take flight. their powers of flight,

release them

into the air.

MODEL 1: TRADITIONAL FORM

ln this traditional poem, the speaker reflects on the return of night at the end
of a day. Read it aloud to help you identify the characteristics of its form.

GO -lUig Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson Close Read

\When the bright lamp is carried in, l. How many lines are in
The sunless hours again begin;
O'er all without, in field and lane, each stanza?
The haunted night returns again.
2. ln the first stanza,
, Now we behold the embers flee
rhyming pairs are
About the firelit hearth; and see highlighted. ldentify
Our faces painted as we pass, the rhyming words in
Like pictures, on the window-glass. the second stanza. What
pattern do you see?

MODEL 2: FREE VERSE

ln this unconventional poem-called a free verse poem-the poet lets the

ideas drive where each line breaks and when each stanza ends.

Th'Deat y my father stopped on the way Close Read
into the house from work
Poem by and joined in the softball game l. How does the form of
David Kherdian
5 we were having in the street, this poem differ from
that of "Cood-Night"?
and attempted to play in our
game that ltis country had never 2. Notice the short lengths
known.
of thelboxedl lines. What
tr't.''..l might the poet be trying
to emphasize by isolating
10 and the day stands out forever and repeating this

in my memory phrase?
as a father's living gesture
to his son, 3. What do you learn about
that in playing even the fool the speaker ofthis poem?

15 or clown, he would reveal

that the lines of their lives
were sewn from a tougher fabric
than the son had previously known.

TExr ANALYSIS woRKsHoP 605

Part 2: Poetic Elements &

Like different colors of paint or the notes on a musical scale, language can
be arranged to create a desired effect. For example, short, choppy lines can
produce a fast-paced pounding beat, while long, rhythmic lines can create a
soothing melody. Poets manipulate the words and lines in their writing, fully
conscious of how their work will sound when read aloud and how it will make
readers feel. Sound devices, imagery, and figurative language are important
tools of the trade.

SOUND DEVICES

Poets choose words not only for their meaning, but also for their sounds. The
sound of a word or line can help emphasize meaning or create a musical quality.
Here are some examples of sound devices poets use.

RHYTHM "Afternoon on a Hill a
the pattern ofstressed (,) and b
unstressed (.) syllables in each line. A Poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay
regular pattern of rhythm is called meter. c
/e/v, b
RHYtt,lE
I will be the gladdest thing d
the repetition of sounds at the ends of uiraE tf,..,1r,!
words, as in rph and oac. Rhyme scheme €
is the pattern that the end-rhyming words f-tefvlv
follow. To identify rhyme scheme, assign f
a letter to each sound, as shown here. I will touch a hundred flowers
e
REPETITION eid n6t pi".k oi..
the use of a word, phrase, line, or sound 6o
more than once, such as the repeated I will look at cliffs and clouds b
use of the phrase I will \7ith quiet eyes,
i
ATLITERATION Warch the wind bow down the grass,
the repetition of consonant sounds at And the grass rise. h
the beginning of words, such as the m
in mork, must, and mine And when lights begin to show ,.,rlEX-@ql
Up from the town,
ASSONANCE
the repetition of vowel sounds in words I will mark which must be mine,
that don't end with the same consonant, And then start down!
such as the ow sound in bow and down

606 uNrr t: PoErRy

MODEL 1: RHYTHM AND RHYME

Read this traditional poem aloud, listening for its rhythm and rhyme.

\il/hose woods ,h"r" "." i,t int i t "o*. CIose Read

erervrv, 1. Stressed (,) and
u nstressed (-) syl lables
His house is in the village, though; are marked in the first
stanza. Read the second
ri. #tt ,ri, ,6. ri. rt.ipplng hJr. stanza out loud. Does it
follow the same pattern
d*i.h t'i". *ood, fif *Lh,rio*. as the first stanza?
"p
2. The end rhymes in
5 My little horse must think it queer the first stanza are
highlighted. Examine
To stop without a farmhouse near the end rhymes in the
other stanzas to figure
Between the woods and frozen lake out the rhyme scheme.
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

lo To ask if there is some mistake.

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

lltEiLltlr !.,ri' The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
: 11 -::t :.l i1
But i have promises to keep,
15 And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

MODEL 22 ATLITERATION AND REPETITION

This unconventional poem uses alliteration and repetition to help
emphasize meaning. Make sure to read the lines all the way across.

ui:..*Chrytatis il A- }"" Close Read
ffi '
.1_48 1. The alliteration in the
IEoxeA line helps to
Poem by Paul Fleischman create a sense ofthe
caterpillar's strong grip.
Cold told me November 13: Find another example
of alliteration.
EE't* -yf.ol to dangle upside down
from my perch, 2. What does the
to this branch, to cease being a caterpillar
and I have obeyed. repetition in the last
to shed my skin,
, line help emphasize?
and I have obeyed.
3. Who is the speaker of

, the poem?

,

TE xr ANALYSTs woRKsHoP 607

IMAGERY AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

ln addition to sound devices, poets use imagery, or language that appeals to one
or more of your senses-sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Vivid images
help readers more clearly understand what a poet describes. ln "Stopping by
Woods on a Snowy Evening," for example, images like "the sweep / Of easy wind
and downy flake" help you visualize the scene and hear the sounds of winter.

One way poets create imagery is by using figurative Ianguage, or imaginative
descriptions that are not literally true. The following are common types of
figurative Ianguage:
. Simile: a comparison of two things using the word like or as

. Metaphor: a comparison of two things that does not include the word like or as

. Extended metaphor: a metaphor that extends over several lines, stanzas, or an
entire poem

. Personification: a description of an object, animal, or idea as if it has human

qualities and emotions

Notice how these examples of figurative language help you picture ordinary
things in new ways.

StMttE PERSONIFICATION

The sun:spun like 'i7hen I opened the door
I found the vine leaves
a"tossed,:coin. speaking among themselves in abundanr

It whirled'on the azure sky, whispers.
it clattered into the horizon,
it clicked in the slot, My presence made them
and neonJights popped hush their green breath,
and blinked "Time expired,"
as on a parking meter. embarrassed, the way
humans stand up, buttoning their jackets,
by Oswald Mbuyise-"n$i uMntsshsagl"i
ifacting as if they were leaving an1.way, as
METAPHOR
In the pond in the park the conversation had ended
all things are doubled: just before you arrived.
Long buildings hang and
wriggle gently. Chimnqys by D-fernoisme
are bent legs bouncing
on clouds below.

-from "\Vater Picture"

608 UNIT POETRY

':

Part 3: Analyze the Text

ln "Lineage," Margaret walker uses many different poetic elements to describe
the speaker's admiration for her ancestors. Using what you've learned in this
workshop, analyze the form, sound devices, and language in this poem. Notice
how all these elements work together to communicate a powerful message.

L&INEAGE

Poem by Margaret Walker

My grandmothers were strong. Close Read
1. What is traditional about
They followed plows and bent to toil. the form of this poem?

They moved through fi.ldrl**,.rg ;a:l 2. One example of
alliteration is E-oxed.l
They touched earth and grain grew. Find two more examples.
They were full of sturdiness and singing.
My grandmothers were srrong. 3. The poem's first line is
repeated two more times
My grandmorhers are full of memories and helps to emphasize
an important message.
Smelling of soap and onions and wet clay How is strength defined
in the poem?
With veins rolling roughly over quick hands

They have many clean words to say.
My grandmothers were strong.
Why am I not as they?

4. Find four images that
help you picture the
grandmothers. What
sense does each image

appeal to?

How would you

describe the speaker of
this poem? Think about
the qualities she admires

in her grandmothers and
how she sees herself in
relation to them.

TExr ANALYsis \x/oRKsHop 609

Before Reading

Simile: Willow and Ginkgo

Poem by Eve Merriam

lntroduction to Poetry

Poem by Billy Collins

o

rHINK KEYWORD: HML8-610
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#P#ffifu# p€mfurercGP

i COMMONCORE Have you ever seen the movie version of a book you've already read?
Then you probably have had the experience of being surprised when a
RL4 Determine the meaning character didn't look the way you had pictured him or her. Words can
ofwords and phrases, including create such distinct and powerful images that what you imagine while
figurative meanings; analyze the reading can seem as"real" as whatyou see. The poemsyou are about
impact of word choices on to read might help you see words themselves in a fresh, new way.
meaning and tone. RL 5 Analyze
the structure oftext.

QUICKWRITE Choose a photograph from a magazine. Try to think

of the way the pictured item might feel, sound, smell, or taste,

in addition to how it appears. ln a brief paragraph, create a vivid

description of the image. Read your paragraph to a partner and ask

which words best help him or her picture what you're describing.

Then show the image.

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O poerrc FoRM: srANzA Eve Merriam

Many poems are divided into stanzas, or groupings of two or 't9't6-r992
more lines that form a unit. ln poetry, a stanza serves a similar
purpose to a paragraph in prose. Stanzas may be used to Always a Poet
separate ideas, add emphasis, or create a certain appearance Eve Merriam began writing poetry when
on the page. she was about eight years old, and she never
considered any other career. "lt's like . . .
O rexr ANALysrs: METAeHoR AND stMrtE oxygen," she said, "when I hear rhymes
and word play." Although at times during
Have you ever heard an expression that didn't mean her life she was forced to take
exactly what it said? The expression probably contained other jobs, she continued
figurative language. Figurative language consists of words writing poetry. Her first
used in an imaginative wayto communicate meaning beyond collection of poetry for
their strict definitions. The following are three types of adults, Family Circle, won
figurative language: the r946 Yale Younger
Poets Prize. Later in her
. Similes use like or asto compare two unlike things. For career, Merriam focused
on writing poetry
example: The frozen lake is like glass. for children.

. Metaphors make comparisons without the word like or as. Billy Collins

For exampler Allthe world is a stage. born r94r

. Extended metaphors extend over several lines, stanzas, or an America's Most Popular Poet
ln the United States, even the top poets can
entire poem. be unknown to most of the public. Billy
Collins, however, is well known and well
As you read the following poems, look for examples of loved. His rise to fame began when Collins
metaphors and similes and note how the poets use them to became a regular guest on radio programs,
reveal a tone, or attitude; present vibrant images; or express where his humor and welcoming manner
complex ideas with a few words. won him a loyalfollowing. He has since
become one of the best-selling poets of his
! nenorruG STRATEGY: vrsuAttzE generation and regularly attracts standing-
room-only crowds to his poetry readings.
One way to help yourself enjoy the richness of a poem is to When he served as the Poet Laureate of the
take the time to visualize the words, or form pictures in your United States from zoot to
mind. To visualize, pay attention to details that help you zoo3, he created the t8o
Project, which provided
imagine how something looks, sounds, smells, feels, or even high schools across the
tastes. Combine these details with your own knowledge and country with poems to
experiences. As you read these poems, keep track of what you be read along with daily
visualize in a chart like the one shown. announcements. His goal
was to make poetry part
Wna+ lVisraJiza Words ad ?hrasesThat Helpen of everyday life for
al, k,LierkU lines young people.
"crude sketch"

i;p. Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

S&rryNfi$ex ffiffddd#ed#-,s s

Eve Merriam tuq,sgwrut#rff#

\ The willow is like an etching, stHi:,",
Fine-lined against the slcy.
t @ o/ The ginkgo is like a crude sketch, What motif, or repeated
Hardly worthy to be signed. element, do you notice
\
: The willow's music is like a soprano, O METAPHOR AND
\t/
Delicate and thin. SIMILE
.{ +.- - The ginkgo's tune is like a chorus ln lines 9-rz, what
\-v \With everyone joining in. similes are used to
describe the willow?
The willow is sleek as a velvet-norla .rf, What similes describe
the ginkgo?
ro The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull.
The willow's branches are like silken thread; o STANZA
Why do you think the
The ginkgo's like stubby rough wool. 6 poet started a new
stanza at line r7?
The willow is like a nymph with streaming hair;
\Therever it grows, there is green and gold and fair.
r: The willow dips to the water,
Protected and precious, like the king's favorite daughter.

The ginkgo forces its way through gray concrete;

Like a ciry child, it grows up in the streer.
Thrust against the metal sky,
zo Somehow it survives and even thrives. @

My eyes feast upon the uillou,
But my heart goes to the ginkgo.

6"12 uNrr j: poErRy W Light-l (1992), Atsuko Kato.
Oil on board, 100 cm x 70 cm.



ffimreftwm#mxm&ffimre

BILLY COLLINS

Vednesday 6: Rdin, slowly clearing eastwards (2001), Ben Mclaughlin. Oil on
board, 20.3 cm x 20.3 cm. Private collection. @ Bridgeman Art Library.

I ask them to take a poem o vlSuALrzE
and hold it up to the light Reread lines t-4.
What words help you
like a color slide visualize what the poet
describes? To which
or press an ear against its hive. @ senses do the details

: I say drop a mouse into a poem appeal?

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski O METAPHOR AND
ro across the surface ofa poem
SIMILE
waving at the authort name on the shore. ln lines rz-r4, what

But all they want to do extended metaphor is
is tie the poem to a chair with rope used to describe the
and torture a confession out of it. @ poem?

r They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.

614 uNrr t: PoETRY

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

1. Recall ln "Simile: Willow and Ginkgo," which tree does the speaker think RL 4 Determine the meaning
is more beautiful?
ofwords and phrases, including
2. Recall What does the speaker in "lntroduction to Poetry" want readers figurative meanings; analyze the
to do on the surface of a poem? impact of word choices on
meaningandtone. RL5 Analyze
the structure oftext.

Text Analysis
! 3. Visualize Review the chart you made as you read. Select two examples that

were especially effective in helpingyou make visualizations. What words
helped you "see" images in your mind?

O +. ldentify Simile and Metaphor For each poem, identify as many figurative

comparisons asyou can. ln a chart likethe one shown, list what is being
described and what it is compared to. Then identify whether the comparison
is a simile or a metaphor.

" I rt r od uct io n t o P oet rti' Sinile or
Metaphor
UaeG) WDeh.ast,rlisbebne'iaq WConaaptafntd)sTo
sfuiile
poen co/or slide

lnterpret a Line Reread the last two lines of "Simile: Willow and Cinkgo."
Why do you think the speaker's "heart goes to the ginkgo"? Support your
answer with words and phrases from the poem.

Oo. Compare Stanzas Look back at the stanzas in "lntroduction to Poetry." How

are the poem's stanzas alike? How are they different? Consider their length
as well as their content.

Ot. Analyze Metaphors to lnterpret a Poem ln the first five stanzas of

"lntroduction to Poetry," Collins uses metaphors to convey how he would
like readers to relate to a poem. ln the last two stanzas, he uses an extended
metaphor to communicate what he thinks most readers want to do with a
poem. ldentify the items to which Collins likens a poem in lines r-rr. Then, in
your own words, restate his message.

Extension and Challenge

8. Creative Project: Poem Write your own poem about reading poetry. lnclude

at least one metaphor and one simile.

Hsw can WORDS create pictures?

Which words in the two poems created the most vivid images for you?

sTMILE: wrlt-olr AND GTNKGo / INrnopucrloN To PoETRY 615

the lesson of the moth

Poem by Don Marquis

ldentity

Poem by Julio Noboa

ffim*ro BEAUTYffiffi&&ffiff?

i COMMONCORE What is our standard of beauty? A recent study found that people
judged the beauty of strangers differently than they judged
RLI Cite the textual evidence the beauty of people they knew. With strangers, people took
that supports inferences into account only physical appearance. With familiar faces, the
drawn from the text. pa rtici pa nts considered cha racteristics such as i ntelli gence, cou rage,
and dependability. The speakers in the Poems you're about to read
RL 4 Determine the meaning have their own ideas about beauty.

of words and phrases as they SIJRVEY Survey your classmates to find out what five or six
are used in a text; analyze the characteristics they think make someone beautiful. List the ten
impact of specific word choices answers that were given most often, and then separate them into
on meaning. RL5 Analyze internal and external characteristics. According to your survey, is
how structure contributes to beauty only skin deep?
meaning.
.,A

;''q':

I nornc FoRM: FREE vERsE Don Marquis

It is often said that to write poetry, you first have to learn t878-t937
the rules-then you can break them. Free verse is poetry that
"breaks the rules" because it does not contain regular patterns Talented Newsman
of rhythm or rhyme. However, writers of free verse often use Don Marquis published novels and worked
repetition and other sound devices to emphasize meaning. as a screenwriter, but he was mainly a
As you read, notice the way the poems sound like newspaper writer. A daily column in the
New York Evening Sun led Marquis to create
everyday speech. a character called Archy the cockroach, who
helped Marquis see life from a different
O rexr ANArYsrs: sPEAKER perspective. "the lesson of the moth" is one
of many poems Marquis wrote in the voice
ln a poem, the voice that "talks" to the reader is called the speaker. of Archy. Marquis pretended
Readers often assume that the speaker and the poet are the that Archy wrote his verses
same, but this is not always true. The speaker may be a character on a typewriter during
created bythe poet. For example, the speaker in "the lesson of the the night. Marquis
moth" is a cockroach named Archy. As you read each poem, use explained the lack of
clues from the text to infer the speaker's identity. capitalization in the
poems by saying that
I nraoruc sKrLL: cLARTFY MEANTNc Archy never learned to
use the shift key. Although
Poets use line breaks, stanzas, and punctuation to help Marquis's poems are mainly
emphasize ideas. For example, look at hornrthe punctuation remembered for their
and line and stanza breaks in the first stanza of "ldentity" humor, they also allowed
him to comment
affect meaning. on society.

Let them be as flowers, Julio Noboa
a lways watered, fed, gua rded, a d m i red,
but hornessed to a pot of dirt. bornrg4g

ln the first two lines, commas cause you to pause and linger on Poet and Educator
words that are associated with positive feelings. However, the Julio Noboa was born in the Bronx. He credits
third Iine, which ends with a period, abruptly undercuts these his Puerto Rican father and a high-school
comforting words. Because the stanza ends with this line, it English teacher with
emphasizes that the speaker sees confinement where others encouraging him to write.
see beauty. As you study each poem, think about how the line Noboa wrote "ldentity"
breaks, stanzas, and punctuation affect the way you read and when he was in the eighth
grade. The poem was
understand it. Use a graphic organizer like the one shown to inspired by Noboa's feelings
after a breakup with a
note these elements and the effects they create. girlfriend, an experience
that he says encouraged him
Elemefts Usd? E{fe&s to think "about what's really

line and sta.nza . tles sepa.rate postive and negative important to me." Noboa is
,:.1.i.;
break ideas
now a college professor.

end uarks (questton ':

uarks, perrbds, etc)
,

{& Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

THE LEssoN oF THE rr,rorg / IDENTITy 617

Gt htfHe-fr

= t*fmutfrfttt*

Don Marquis r,o$Ii3r",

i was talking to a moth What might the light
the other evening bulb symbolize?
he was trylng to break into
an electric light bulb o SPEAKER
What are your first
; and fry himself on the wires @ impressions of the
speaker?
why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him E CLARIFY MEANING

because it is the conventionall lmagine that this stanza
thing for moths or why was punctuated like
ro if that had been an uncovered regular text. Where
would the punctuation
candle instead of an electric appear?
light bulb you would
now be a small unsighdy cinder2
have you no sense @

ri plenry of it he answered

but at times we get tired

of using it

we get bored with the routine

l. conventional: customary; usual; accepted.

2. cinder: a piece of burned material.

518 UNIT POETRY

':



and crave beauty o FREE VERSE
zo and excitement ln what ways do the
lines in this stanza
fire is beautiful sound like the waY
and we know that if we get people really talk? ln
too close it will kill us what ways do theY
but what does that matter sound different?
zr it is better to be haPPY
for a moment o SPEAKER
and be burned uP with beautY ln what way does
than to live a long time the speaker comPare
and be bored all the while himself to the moth?
30 so we wad all our life uP
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a Part of beaury

:, for one instant and then to cease to

exist than to exist forever
and never be a part ofbeaury
our attitude toward life
is to come easy go easy
40 we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves @

and before i could argue him
out of his philosoPhY
a: he went and immolated3 himself
on a patenta cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
:o the longevirY5I

but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself

-archy

3. immolated (Ym'e-l6td'): killed as a sacrifice.

4. patent (pat'nt): patented; covered by a lawful
grant that gives the inventor the exclusive right
to manufacture an item for a certain time period.

longevity (l6n-jEv'.i-te): length of life'

620 uNIr t: PoETRY

ilffiEffiwilwryi

Julio Noboa

Let them be as flowers, The Mountain (1991), Alben Herben'
watered, fed, guarded' admired' Oiloncanvas, 50.8cm x 61 cm Private
collection. @ Bridgeman Art Library'
"btr*.r"t yhtar.resred to a Pot of dirt'
SPEAKER
I'd rather be a tall, uglY weed'
Reread lines t-6. How
i- clinging on cliffs, like an eagle
;i;e-;"tering above high' jagged rocks' @ does the sPeaker's view
of himself or herself
To have broken through the surface of stone contrast with the waY
to live, to feel exposed to the madness the speaker views
"them"?
ofthe vast, eternal skY' ancient sea'
the breezes of an the mountains E CLARIFY MEANING
,o" To b. swayed by my seed beyond Reread lines t3-t8,
paYing attention to the
;;;";;ysoul, commas. What effect
do theY have on the waY
of time You read this stanza?
or into the abYssl of the b\zatre'

I'd rather be unseen, and if,

then shunne# bY everyone

ri than to be a pleasant-smelling flow.er'
zrowing in ciu'ttrc in the fertile valley

I?,i"t..i.rre praised, handled' and plucked

by greedY, human hands'

I'd rather smell of musty' green stench
zo than of sweet, fragrant lilac'

If I could stand alone' strong and free'

I'd rather be a tall, uglY weed'

1, abyss: a seemingly bottomless space'
2 shunned: deliberately avoided; shut out'

THE LESSoN oF THE uorg / IDENTITY 621

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

1. Recall According to "the lesson of the moth," why do moths fly toward light? IRL Cite the textual evidence

2. Represent Create a sketch that shows the differences between the flower that supports inferences drawn
and the weed described in "ldentity." Make sure your sketch reflects at least from the text. RL4 Determine the
two specific details from the poem. meaning ofwords and phrases as
they are used in a text; analyze the
Text Analysis impact of specific word choices
o3. Make lnferences What does the speaker learn about himself in "the lesson of on meaning. RL5 Analyze how
structure contributes to meaning.
the moth"? Support your response with evidence from the poem.

4. Examine Stanza ln "the lesson of the moth," how does the poet use stanzas
to help you follow the conversation between the cockroach and the moth?

5. Analyze Metaphor What kind of person does the speaker in "ldentity" want
to be? What kind of person does he not want to be?

lo. Clarify Meaning Refer to the charts you created as you read. For each poem,
tell whether the line breaks, the stanzas, or the punctuation did the most
to help you understand the poem's meaning. Explain what and how that
element helped you understand.

Compare and Contrast Views ln "the lesson of the moth," what is the moth's

attitude about the price of beauty? ln "ldentity," what is the speaker's attitude

about the price of beauty? Explain whether you think their views are more

similar or more different.

| the - -'8. evaluate Free Verse Use a chart like: of"the lesson , ")dertrtti'

one shown to list examples of rhyme, the uotfi'

repetition, or other sound devices,

ofsuch as altiteration (the repetition Rhqme

ofconsonant sounds at the beginning Repetitioa

thesewords). What images or ideas do Souad Devius

devices emphasize?

Extension and Challenge Cockroach
,}\g. .( sctENcE coNNEcTtoN How do the qualities of
h4- real cockroaches and moths correspond to the poetic

creations Don Marquis presents in "the lesson of the moth"?
Research to find out about each creature's habits and life span.
Display your findings in a poster, and be ready to explain how
the poem does-or does not-relate to reality.

flFoes BEAUTY matter?

How has reading these poems influenced your thoughts about beauty?

622 uNIr t: PoErRy

Language i COMMONCORE
€ e nannrutAR lhl €0NTEXT: ure {ommas correctly
L 2a Use punctuation (comma)
By using commas properly to indicate a pause, you can avoid confusing your to indicate a pause or break.
readers. When writing a sentence that lists items in a series, insert a comma W 10 Write over shortertime
after every item except the last one. (A series consists of three or more items.) frames.
Also insert a comma between two or more adjectives of equal rank that
modifythe same noun.

Original: Both the moth in "the lesson of the moth" and the

speaker in "ldentity" find beauty in unusual surprising

places.

Revised: Both the moth in "the lesson of the moth" and the
speaker in "ldentity" find beauty in unusual, surprising

places.

PRACTICE lnsert commas where needed in the following sentences.

l. The moth would rather take risks get injured and die young than be bored.

2. He thinks that the dangerous exciting heat of fire is beautiful.
3. lwouldn't mind being unseen shunned and alone like a weed.
4. Unlike flowers, weeds are strong free and independent.

For more help with using commas correctly, see page R49 in the Grammar
Handbook.

READI I\IC.t/vilIEI NG COfiI N EETIGFI

YOUR Continue to explore the meaning of "the lesson of the moth" and

@ "ldentity" by responding to this prompt. Then use the revising tip

TURII to improve your writing.

Short Constructed Response: Paragraph Review your response. Go to thinkcentral.com.
Choose one ofthe "characters" from the Have you used commas
poems- Archy, the moth, or the speaker in KEYWORD: HMLS-621
"ldentity." Write a paragraph answering the *tu correctly in a series or
question, "Does beauty matter?" from the
point of view of this character. between adjectives of
equal rank that modify thd
same noun? lf not, revise.

62'THE LESSON OF THE MOTH / IDENTITY

-l

It's ael I have ts bring today:

Poem by Emily Dickinscn

We Alone :A

t,:-l Video link at

BtsToRY thutqs$ralcsql

Poem by Aliee \,Valker

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i COMMONCORE lf you hear that people are wealthy, you probably think they have a
lot of money. Perhaps you imagine that they own expensive things
RL2 Determineatheme like jewels, antiques, and designer goods. But does wealth always
ofa text and analyze its have to refer to material objectsT The poets whose works you are
development. RL4 Determine about to read would like us to find riches in more common places.
the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in QUICKWRITE What types of non-material things do you consider part
a text; analyze the impact of your wealth? Family? Friends? Pets? With a small group, discuss
of specific word choices on the everyday things that can lend richness to your life.
meaning.

=Hsm,

o TEXT ANALYSIS: RECURRING THEME Emily Dickinson

You already know that the message of a literary work is r83o-r885
called the theme. When the same message is found
in different works, it is called a recurring theme. The An Unsung Talent
following poems were written in different centuries ln 1862, Emily Dickinson read an
by poets of different cultures and backgrounds, but announcement in a magazine asking for
they express a similar idea: common things should be the work of new poets. Dickinson sent
considered valuable. As you read, notice how each poet several of her poems to the editor, asking
develops this recurring theme. Pay attention to him if her work "breathed." The
editor thought she had talent,
. the speaker's feelings and beliefs but he didn't like her use of
rhythm, and he asked herto
. important statements the speaker makes correct her punctuation and
capitalization. Dickinson
images and details that stand out chose to keep her poems
in a box, unchanged. After
repeated words and phrases she died, her sister found this
wealth of poems and had them
. READING STRATEGY: SET A PURPOSE FOR READING published. Dickinson is now
considered one of America's
Your purpose for reading the two poems is to compare the greatest poets.
way the poets communicate the recurring theme. After
you've read the poems once, go back and read them again. Alice Walker
This time, take notes in a chart like the one shown.
borntg44
RarringThetue' Comnon things should be coasiderd valuable.
Ground-Breaker
"ft's all I haveto , 'We Alone' Alice Walker was born in a small town in
Ceorgia where her part-Cherokee mother
bring today and African-American father worked as
tenant farmers. Although the family did not
What strong feeltngs have much money, Walker's parents made
or beliefs does the sure there were always books in the
speaker express? house. Walker began writing
at around age eight. She
Whrch iuaqes and also made up many stories
details staad out? that she never put on
paper, because she feared
Which words her brothers might find
and phrases are them and make fun of
repeated? her. Today, Walker is a
world-renowned a uthor,
She was the first African-
American woman to
win the Pulitzer
Prize in fiction.

1""?H

i\#p Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

625

T-

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Emily Dickinson

kt all I have to bring today- *qfli3r",

This, and my heart beside- How might you feel if

This, and my heart, and all the fields- you were in the setting
And all the meadows wide- depicted in this picture?
I Be sure you count-should I forget
6 RECURRING THEME
Some one the sum could tell- What images of nature
do you find in the poem?
This, and my heart, and all the Bees

\7hich in the Clover dwell.6

UNIT POETRY

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\7e alone can devalue gold rtr$lli3,",
by not caring
To what objects does the
ifit falls or rises light draw attention?

in the marketplace. o RECURRING THEME
5 'Wherever there is gold How does the speaker
feel about the value
there is a chain, you know, of gold?
and if your chain
is gold O RECURRING THEME
so much the worse
ro for you. @ Reread lines r4-r7 and
paraphrase the speaker's
Feathers, shells statement.
and sea-shaped stones
are all as rare.

This could be our revolution:
u To love what is plentiful

as much as
what is scarce. @

628 uNrr 5: PoETRy

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Comprehension i COMMONCORE

l. Recall ln "lt's all I have to bring today-," what does the speaker bring? RL2 Determineatheme
of a text and analyze its
2. Recall According to the speaker in "We Alone," how can people decrease the development. RL4 Determine
value of gold? the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in
3. Recall ln "We Alone," what items in nature are as rare as gold? a text; analyze the impact
of specific word choices on
meaning.

Text Analysis

4. Visualize What mental pictures did you create as you read "lt's all I have to

bring today-"? Describe how you visualized the speaker, the setting, and

the situation in this poem.

lnterpret Poetry ln "lt's all I have to bring today-," the word thrs is repeated
in lines 2,3, and 7. What do you think thrs might refer to-the speaker, the

poem, or something else? Support your ideas.

6. Analyze Symbo! A symbol is a person, place, or thing that stands for
something beyond itself. ln "We Alone," what ideas does the chain represent?
Support your response.

7. Draw Conclusions Reread the last stanza of "We Alone." What are some
"plentiful" things that we should love as much as or more than the scarce things?

os. Evaluate Theme Which poem more clearly expresses the theme that common

things should be considered valuable? Support your answer with details.

Comparing Theme

! 9. Set a Purpose for Reading Now that you've read both poems, finish filling in

your chart. Then start thinking about the similarities and differences in how
the poems express the theme.

RearriagTheue, Cownoa things in life should be considqed valualle

. "#!!,h*"to bring We Atotd' '

I"

What strong feelings She of{ers onh1 her heart The worth o{ qola is
or beliefs does the and nature's beavtq. determr:ned bt4 people

speaker express?

Wnicn iuages and

Whrch words and
phrases are repeatel?

Can you he RIGH without money?

Do you think the speakers of these poems feel wealthy? Explain your answer.

530 uNIT t: PoETRY

Writing for Assessment COMMONCORE RLI, RL2,W2,W2a-b,f

You've just read two poems that express similar ideas about wealth. ln writing
assessments, you will often be asked to compare literary selections that differ
in some ways but share a recurring theme.

"Its all I have to bring today-" and "\7e Alone" 1 stnarzotEs tN Acf tou

express this theme: common things should be l, ) should uake sure ) understand how
ea.ch poeu expresses the uessage.
considered valuable. In four or five paragraphs,
) need to identfiq the sintila.rities
compare and contrast how this theme is expressed aad diflerences in how the poeas
develop the uessage,
in the poems. Focus on the speakers, images, and
use of repetition in each poem. Support your ?. ) wust suppori mq rdeas using
quotations frou the poens,
judgments with references to both texts.

Review your chart, thinking about the way each poem conveys ) lr,(roduce poeus aad
the theme. Make sure you can cite words and phrases to support Thests stateaett
your notes. Then think about howyou will set upyour response. t,l
How Eur/t1 Drcknson
. Option A: In one paragraph describe how the recurring theme
t.l.l. deve/ops theae
is developed in the first poem; in the next paragraph, describe How A/ice Wa./ker
how this theme is developed in the second poem; in a third
paragraph, discuss similarities and differences in how the l,v. .. deve/ops theue
Coapare a.hd
poems develop the theme.
contrast e/euenf<
. Option B: ln one paragraph, compare how the speakers V. Conc/usron

contribute to the theme; in a second paragraph, compare the use
of imagery; in a third paragraph, compare the use of repetition.

Now, outline your essay. Then write a thesis statement that describes your main idea.

lntroduction lnclude the titles and the poets' names. State the theme and
your thesis.
Body Using your outline and the details in your chart, describe how each poem
develops the recurring theme. lnclude details from the poems to support your ideas.
Conclusion End your essay by restating the recurring theme and your thesis.
lnclude a final thought about why this theme is important.
Revision Make sure the poem details you cite truly support your ideas.
Cather additional support from the poems if necessary.

rt's elr r HAvE To BRING ToDAY- / wr eI-oNr 531

Before Reading

Speech to the Young
S]reech to the Progress-Toward

Poem by Cwendolyn Brooks

Mother to Son

Poem by Langston Hughes

ADVICE?

I COMMONCORE Suggestions about how to improve your grades or how to approach
the new guy at school can be welcome, but how do you know if it's
RLI Citethe evidence that
supports inferences drawn from good advice? Sometimes it depends on who gives it. ls it someone
thetext. RL4 Determinethe who has been there and learned from his or her own experience? ls it
meaning ofwords and phrases
as they are used in text; analyze someone who cares about you or has a stake in the outcome? ln the
the impact of specific word two poems you are about to read, the speakers share what they have
choices on meaning and tone. learned with a younger generation.

DISCIJSS lmagine you need to bring up your grade in science class.
ln a small group, brainstorm a list of three people you would ask for
advice on how to improve your study habits and grade, and tell why
you consider these people a good source for advice.

#ryrgbe$r$

d

o POETIC FORM: LYR!C POETRY Gwendolyn Brooks

lf you're a poet and you want to share your deepest 1917-2ooo
feelings on a topic such as love, death, or the power of
nature, what kind of poem would you write? A good Young Talent
choice would be a lyric poem. The purpose of a lyric As a budding young poet, Cwendolyn Brooks
poem is to express personal thoughts and feelings. To wentto hear Langston Hughes give a speech
achieve this purpose, lyric poems have the following at her church. Brooks's mother insisted that
she show some of her work to
characteristics. They Hughes. He read her poems
on the spot and told her she
. are short had talent. "That did mean a
. have a single speaker who expresses personal lot to a sixteen-year-old girl,"
Brooks later said. Brooks
thoughts and feelings went on to achieve great fame
as a poet. She used her own
. focus on a single, strong idea moneyto fund literary awards
for young writers.
a TEXT ANAIYSIS: SOUND DEVICES
Langston Hughes
Writers use sound devices to create a musical quality
and to call attention to certain words. Alliteration is the rgoz-t967
repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Notice the repeate d w sound in the following example: World Traveler
Langston Hughes was voted "class poet"
flhen the yind whispers at his high school in Cleveland, Ohio. After
graduation, Hughes visited his father,
Another sound device based on repetition is assonance, in who was living in Mexico. During the trip,
which a vowel sound is repeated in two or more syllables. Hughes wrote "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
It remains one of his best-known works.
Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. Hughes continued to see the world, traveling
extensively in Africa and Europe. The poetry
As you read the following poems, notice the alliteration he sent home helped build his literary
and assonance, and think about the effect ofthese reputation. Hughes described the people he
wrote about as "beaten and baffled,
sound devices. but determined not to be
wholly beaten." Some African-
a READING SKILL: MAKE !NFERENCES American critics disa pproved
of his choice of subject matter,
As you try to understand the speakers and the advice they but Hughes felt that "the
give in these two poems, look for clues that hint at their masses of our people had as
experiences, attitudes, and personality. Combine these much in their lives to
clues with your own knowledge or experience to make put into books as
inferences, logical guesses about what the poet doesn't did those more
state directly. Use inference equations like the one shown fortunateones."
to record your inferences about the speakers.

The tftle of the 1lder people llke Spea.ker is an
poeu is"Speech to qlve a.dvice, o/der person,
to theYoury.'

{;p. Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

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(Among them Nora and HenrY lll)

Gwendolyn Brooks

Say to them, s*$Ii3r",
say to the down-keepers,
the sun-slappers, What can you infer
the self-soilers, about the relationship
between the girland the
: the harmony-hushers, woman in the picture?
"Even ifyou are not ready for day
it cannot always be night." o SOUND DEVICES
How many examples of
You will be right. alliteration can you find
For that is the hard home-run. @ in the first stanza?

to Live not for battles won. E MAKE INFERENCES
Live not for the-end-of-the-song.
Live in the along. @ What attitude does the
speaker express in lines
lo-lz?

634 uNrr r: PoETRY New Dreams (2002), Ernest Crichlow. Lithograph, 243/t" " 163/t". Photo by

Maureen Turci, Mojo Portfolio. Courtesy of the Estate of Ernest Crichlow.

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Mother

rBSon

La ngston H ughes

Lady, Ernest Crichlow. Etching, 22" x 18". Photo by Maureen Turci, Mo jo Portlolio
Courtesy ofthe Estate ofErnest Crichlow.

\fell, son, I'll tell you: a 6- latlliYsuzeals

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. What persona lity traits
It's had tacks in it, would you expect the
And splinters, woman in the painting
to have?
r And boards torn up,
o souND DEVtcEs
And places with no carpet on the floor- Notice the assonance
created by the use of
Bare . the long o sound in
lines rz-r4. What words
But all the time contain this sound?

I'se been a-climbin' on, o LYRTC POETRY
ro And reachin landin's, What is the main idea
the speaker is expressing
And turnin' corners, about her life?
And sometimes goin' in the dark
\7here there ain't been no light.

So boy, don't you turn back. g

15 Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Dont you fall now-

For I'se still goin', honey,
Ite still climbin',
zo And life for me aint been no crystal stair. @

636 UNIT POETRY
':

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

t. Recall ln "Speech to the Young," what does the speaker tell the young to say? RL 1 Cite the evidence that
supports inferences drawn
2. Recall What two things does the speaker in "Speech to the Young" say we from thetext. RL4 Determine
should not live for? the meaning ofwords and
phrases as they are used
3. Represent Create a sketch ofthe stairway described bythe speaker in in text; analyze the impact
"Mother to Son." of specific word choices on
meaning and tone.
Text Analysis

4. lnterpret Meaning What does the speaker in "Speech to the Young" mean
by "Even if you are not ready for the daylit cannot always be night"?

5. Examine Dialect ln "Mother to Son," words such as ain't and kinder are examples
of dialect, the pafticular way language is used in a certain place or by a certain
group of people. Dialect is an important element of Langston Hughes's style.
What does Hughes's use of dialect help you to understand about the speaker?

6. ldentify Figurative [anguage What metaphor is used throughout
"Mother to Son"? What does it tellyou about the mother's life and how
she has responded to it?

)t. Make lnferences About the Speakers In your own words, describe how you

picture the speaker in each poem. Use the inference equations you made as
you read to help you.

o8. Analyze Sound Devices For each poem, use a chart like the one shown

to record the instances of alliteration and assonance. Which poem makes
greater use ofthese sound devices?

"Spez,h to theYwag"

' sa4/sun-slappers/selFsoilers ,

,

! S. lnalyze Lyric Poetry Reviewthe relationship between the purpose and

characteristics of lyric poems on page 633. Next, think about each poet's
message. Then explain why each poet's choice to use a lyric poem as his or
her form was an appropriate one.

Extension and Challenge

10. Creative Project: Poetry Write a short poem in which the speaker explains a
lesson learned from life.

What is good ADVICE?

Which speaker's advice do you think is best? Why?

SPEECH TO THE YOUNG / naorHsn ro soN 637

On the Grasshopper and Crie ket

Poem by John Keats

Ode on Solitude

Poem by Alexander Pope

fr1i" :: F H'

k..# ffi# #s:p*#

FORM H.#G-ffi 'fu,*:rF

i COMMONCORE "Bend from the waist." "Lift your chin." "Hold your arms like this.,,

RL 4 Determine the meaning of Learning almost any new skill-swinging a bat or a tennis racket,
swimming and diving, cartwheeling or dancing-involves learning
words and phrases as they are used form. ln the poems you are about to read, two of the most well-
in a text; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning respected poets in the English Ianguage use traditional poetic forms
andtone. RL5 Compareand to create meaning.
contrast the structure oftwo or ,j
more texts.

LIST lT Make a list of activities that involve /. ba//roou dancl4q
form. Rank them in order of which requires the
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most attention to form.
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o porrtc FoRM: rnaoriloNAL FoRMS John Keats

The poems that follow are examples of two traditional forms, r795-r8zr
or types. Both are lyric poems, or short poems in which a
A Short, Creative Life
speaker expresses personal thoughts and feelings. John Keats lost both parents when he was
a child. His guardian wanted him to be a
. "On the Crasshopper and Cricket" is a sonnet-a lyric poem doctor, but when Keats went to London to
study, he met a group of young writers and
with a specific structure that always includes r4 lines and set abandoned medicine for poetry. He was
patterns of rhyme and rhythm. remarkably creative, writing four of his most
famous poems in a single month. ln r8r8,
. "Ode on Solitude" is an ode, a type of lyric poem that Keats's brother died of tuberculosis. The
following year, Keats began to
characteristically deals with an important topic. showthe same symptoms
and soon became too ill
O rrxr ANAtYsts: RHYME ScHEME to write. He died at the
age of 25. ln his three-
Rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming words at the ends of year writing career, Keats
a poem's lines. You can use letters to identify rhyme scheme. created a body of work
Write the letter a next to the first rhyming word and all words whose quality is greater
that rhyme with it. Then write the letter b next to the second than that of Sha kespeare
rhyming word and the words that rhyme with it, and so on. or Wordsworth at the
same age.
careHappy the man, whose wish and a
Afew paternal acres bound, b Alexander Pope
o
q!!Content to breothe his native b r588-t744
ln his own qround.
Living on Poetry
The letter a identifies all the words at the ends of lines that Alexander Pope suffered from poor health
rhyme with care. The letter b indicates all the words that rhyme his whole life. ln addition, he was Catholic,
with bound. After your first reading of each of these poems, which at that time meant that he could not
read it a second time and note the rhyme scheme in a chart. attend a university. None of this stopped
him from his studies. Pope mostly educated
"Oa theOrasshopper afu Cri*et' himself, learning Latin and Creek. His
translations were so successful they
Une Rhtlme Scheue made Pope the first English
poet able to live off of his
a work. He is famous for his
poetry, essays, and satires.
I nraorruc STRATEGY: PARAPHRASE Lines from his essays-such
as "To err is human, to
Since these poems use language in a waythat is seldom heard forgive, divine"-have
today, they can be challenging to read. To make sure you become part of the
understand the poems, paraphrase them, or restate in your own English language.

words. 639

As you read the poems, look for punctuation marks that :-
showwhere a thought begins and ends. Then checkyour
understanding by paraphrasing the idea. lf you still find a thought
difficult to "translate," reread the lines slowly and use the context
and a dictionary to decode important words you don't know.

fe

(*p Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

AND##ffufGi

Joh n Keats

The poetry of earth is never dead: @ RHYME SCHEME
\Vhen all the birds are faint with the hot sun, How would you describe
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run the rhyme scheme in
lines t-4? Note that
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead; @ meod is a shortened
form of meadow, so is
: That is the Grasshopper's-he takes the lead pronounced mEd.
In summer luxury,-he has never done
Vith his delights; for when tired out with fun o PARAPHRASE
How would you
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed. paraphrase lines ro-rz?
Now read lines t3-r4.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never: What does the cricket's
song remind the
10 On a lone winter evening, when the frost speaker of?

Has wroughtr a silence, from the stove there shrills *"SIi3r",

The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever, What mood does this
image suggest?
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,

The Grasshoppert among some grassy hills. @

l. wrought (r6t): made; produced.

640 uNrr t: PoErRy



de

Alexander Pope

Barn at Coue, Oregon (2005), Gary Ernest Smith. Oil on canvas, 30" x 40".

H"ppy the man whose wish and care g PARAPHRASE
A few paternall acres bound,
ln the second stanza,
Content to breathe his native2 air, what do the speaker's
in his own ground. herds, fields, flocks, and
trees provide for him?
\(hose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
-Whose flocks supply him with attire, i commoNcoRE RL4,RL5

-il/hose trees in summer yield him shade, o TRADTilONAL
In winter fire. @ FORMS
Odes are usually written
Blest, who can unconcerndly find in a serious tone, or
attitude toward a
10 Hours, days, and years slide soft away, subject. The poet may
In health of body, peace of mind, praise nature or an
Quiet by day, abstract quality, or pay
tribute to a person or
Sound sleep by night; study and ease, event. Which words and
Together mixt; sweet recreation; phrases in lines r7-zo
reflect Pope's serious
t5 And Innocence, which most does please attitude toward his
\With meditation. subject?

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented3let me die,

Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie. @

'1. paternal (pet0r'nel): received from a father.

2. native: being one's own because ofone's birthplace.
3. unlamented (Un-le-mEnt'6d): not missed; not mourned for

642 uNIr t: PoErRy

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

Recall ln "On the Grasshopper and Cricket," which insect represents RL 4 Determine the meaning of
summer? Which insect represents winter?
words and phrases as they are used
2. Recall Name three of the things that, according to the speaker in in a text; analyze the impact of
"Ode on Solitude," make man happy. specific word choices on meaning
andtone. RL5 Compare and
contrast the structure oftwo or
more texts.

Text Analysis

3. Examine lmagery You suel/
remember that imagery
taste nqaing
consists of words or phrases
that appeal to the senses. ' -1:o:n the orashoPP.r \
Use a web to record imagery
from "On the Grasshopper :--_ atuCriee+'
and Cricket." To which
senses does the poet appeal? touch -
siglrt

hot gtl

4. ldentify Soft Rhyme Sometimes a poet cannot find words that fit a

poem's rhyme scheme and express the correct meaning. ln such a case,
a poet might use a soft rhyme, words that share one or more sounds
but do not actually rhyme. What example of a soft rhyme do you find in

"Ode on Solitude"?

ts. Paraphrase Poetry Choose two especially challenging lines from

each poem and "translate" them in your own words. What does each
paraphase help you to understand about the poem?

Os. Understand Traditional Forms According to the bulleted definitions on

page 639, what purpose and characteristics of its form does each poem

show?

Ot. Compare and Contrast Rhyme Scheme Look back at the chart you made

for each poem's rhyme scheme. Which poem's rhyme scheme is more

complex? Explain.

Extension and Challenge

8. Readers'Circle Alexander Pope wrote the first draft of "Ode on
Solitude" around t7oo. How do you think the speaker's idea of

happiness might be different if the poem were rewritten today?
Explain.

When does FORM matter?

Which of these poems seems more influenced by its form? Explain why.

oN THE GRASSHoPPER AND CRICKET / opn oN SoLITUDE 643

One More Round

Poem by Maya Angelou

Not My Bones

Poem by Marilyn Nelson

Wfuwere Cm ffiffi%B ffiwmE

FREE?ffi#ffi€e

i COMMONCORE Riding a skateboard or a bike or a horse makes many people feel lr:
physically free. Reading a book can liberate the mind to explore the
RL 4 Determine the meanlng universe. Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July might remind us #
that we live in a country of many freedoms. The following poems
ofwords and phrases as they convey the feelings of those who have found freedom at long last.
are used in a text; analyze
the impact of word choices QUTCKWRTTE When have you felt most free? Think of two or three
on meaning and tone. times and either describe them or sketch them in your journal. Try to
RL 9 Analyze how a modern
work draws on themes or explain why these situations gave you a sense of freedom.
patterns from traditional
stories or religious works,
including howthe material is
rendered

Its

'!

..

?e,

s' :.,-

O rrxr ANAtYsts: woRD cHotcE Maya Angelou

To express complicated thoughts and feelings in just a few lines, born t9z8
poets must make every word count. So a poet's word choice,
or use of words, is particularly important. For example, in "Not Silence to Star
My Bones," Marilyn Nelson writes, "the soul runs free. lt roams At the age of seven, Maya Angelou went
the night sky's mute geometry." Why did she choose these through a difficult time and stopped talking
words when she could have written, "The soul flies among the for five years. A family friend not only taught
stars in the sky"? Perhaps because the words mute geometry her the importance of the spoken word but
suggest a quiet order to the universe. also encouraged her to write. Since
then, Angelou has written
As you read, look for other interesting, unusual, or striking poetry, autobiographies,
words. Record your thoughts on a chart like the one shown. plays, screenplays,
children's books, and even
StrikiagWords Wl'nl P oe+ l"li glrt H av e C!y1 a cookbook. As herfame
uute qeouetrt1 has grown, she has become
to suggest a quiet, planned uflfuerse an important public figure,
mixing with presidents,
Review: Sound Devices television and movie stars, and
other internationally
! neaorruc STRATEGY: READ PoETRY recognized artists.

Poets and writers sometimes draw on traditional songs, Marilyn Nelson
stories, or themes in their work. By doing so, they can explore
the ways the present is similar to or different from the past. borntg46

For example, the poem "One More Round" is based on work Early Promise
songs historically sung by enslaved African Americans. These Marilyn Nelsont sixth-grade teacher
songs feature the following characteristics: predicted that she would become a famous

. A call and response pattern, in which a leader sings a verse writer. The teacher was right. Nelson's
books of poetry have won many awards,
and other workers respond with a chorus including the Newbery Honor. The poem
"Not My Bones"comesfrom Fortune's Bones:
. A strong rhythm, to help workers pace themselves The Manumission Requiem, which Nelson
. Lyrics that often express feelings or frustrations wrote to honor the memory of Fortune, an
enslaved person who died in 1798. She was
As you read "One More Round," notice how Maya Angelou commissioned to write the book
uses these traditional elements to create something new. by the Mattatuck Museum
in Connecticut after the
A vocaeuLARY tN coNTExr descendents of Fortune's
owners donated his skeleton
The following words help poet Marilyn Nelson explain how to the institution. Nelson
an enslaved person can find freedom. To see how manyyou has said she is motivated
know, use the words to complete the sentences. by the desire "to talk about
finding pride ... in people
wo R D converge cosmic essential incarnation who triumphed over
Lt sf
slavery."
_1. Abolitionist groups to fight slavery.
oNE MoRE RoUND / Nor MY BoNEs 645
2. Some believe that each soul has more than one

_3. Freedom of speech is to a democracy.
the -.4. Astronomers'work is to understand
order.

*ffi Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

Lfl%iF* -*f!rH\ MORE

rcuND

Maya Angelou

There aint no pay beneath the sun o WORD CHOICE
As sweet as rest when a job's well done. Reread the third stanza.
I was born to work up to my grave What words stand out
But I was not born to you? Note what these
To be a slave. words and phrases make
you think of and then
One more round add ihem to your chart.

And lett heave it down,

One more round

And let's heave it down.

Papa drove steel and Momma stood guard,
I never heard them holler 'cause the work was hard.
They were born to work up to their graves
But they were not born
To be worked-out slaves. @

One more round

And lett heave it down,

One more round

And lett heave it down.

Brothers and sisters know the daily grind,l
It was not labor made them lose their minds.
They were born to work up to their graves
But they were not born
To be worked-out slaves.

1. grind: a labor-intensive routine.

646 uNrr j: PoETRy

Aspiration (1936), Aaron Douglas. Oil on canvas, 60" x 50". O Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

One more round ^ #- ta{ilsYuzaels

zt And let's heave it down, What symbols do you
see in this painting?
One more round
E READ POETRY
And let's heave it down. lf this poem were a work
song, which stanzas
And now I'll tell you my Golden Rule,2 would be the verses,
I was born to work but I aint no mule. sung bythe leader?
Which stanzas would be
30 I was born to work up to my grave the chorus?
But I was not born
To be a slave.

One more round

And let's heave it down,

:; One more round

And let's heave it down. @

2. Golden Rule: the biblical teaching that one should behave towards
others as one wants others to behave towards oneself.

oNE MoRE RouND 647

Marilyn Nelson

I was not this body, Fortune (2001), Villiam B. \Testwood.
@ Villiam B. lVestwood.

I was not these bones.

This skeleton was just my

temporary home.

Elementary moleculesr converged for a breath, converge (ken-v0rj') v. to
then danced on beyond my individual death. come together in one
And I am not my body, place; meet

I am not my body. incarnation

\7e are brief incarnations, (Yn'-kdr-na'-shen) n. a

bodily form

10 we are clouds in clothes. o woRD cHorcE
\(/e are water respirators,

we are how earth knows. Reread lines 3-6. What
are they saying about
I bore2light passed on from an original flame;
our physical bodies?
while it was in my hands it was called by -y name.
What words in lines 9-r4
r5 But I am not my body, suggest the same ideas?
I am not my body. @ Add these to your chart.

elementary molecules: the smallest, most basic particles of

su bsta nces.

bore: ca rried; transported.

548 UNIT POETRY
':

You can own a man's body, essential (Y-sEn'shel) ady.
but you cant own his mind. having the qualities that
give something its true
Thatt like making a bridle identity
zo to ride on the wind.
cosmic (k6z'mlk) adj.
I will tell you one thing, and I'll tell you true: universal; infinitely large

Lifet the best thing that can happen to you. i COMMONCORE RL4
But you are not your body,
you are not your body. o WORD CHOICE

z: You can own someonet body, When poets choose
but the soul runs free. a word, they consider
the way it sounds,
It roams the night skyt the way it affects the
rhythm of a line, and
mute geometry. sometimes even the
You can murder hope, you can pound faith flat, way it looks on the page.
:o but like weeds and wildflowers, they grow right back. They also consider the
For you are not your body, word's connotation, or
you are not your body. the feelings and ideas
associated with the
You are not your body, word that go beyond
you are not your bones. its basic definition. ln
line 38, Marilyn Nelson
r: \Whatb essential about you chooses to use the
w or d itty - b itfy i n stea d
is what cant be owned. of small. How does her
V4ratt essential in you is your longing to raise choice affect the line's
your itry-bitty voice in the cosmic praise. meaning, rhythm, and
For you are not your body, tone?
40 you are not your body. @

Vell, I woke up this morning just so glad to be free, o SOUND DEVTCES
glad to be free, glad to be free. What lines in this poem
I woke up this morning in restful peace. have been most often
For I am not my body, repeated?
qs I am not my bones.
I am not my body,
glory hallelujah, not my bones,
I am not my bones. @

Nor MY BoNEs 649

Comprehension Rt4 Determinethe meaning of

I Recall ln "One More Round," what is the speaker's "Colden Rule"? words and phrases as they are
used in a text; analyze the
2. Recall According to the speaker in "Not My Bones," what happens impact of word choices on
when hope is murdered and faith is pounded flat? meaningandtone. RL9 Analyze
how a modern work draws
Text Analysis on themes or patterns from
t|3. lnterpret Poetry Enslaved African Americans could not express themselves traditional stories or religious
works, including how the
freely. Note the lines in "One More Round" that would have been dangerous material is rendered new.
to voice in a traditional work song. By expressing these once-forbidden
sentiments in a traditional form, what might Maya Angelou be saying about
the past and the present?

4, Make lnferences Why does the speaker in "Not My Bones" feel that a
person's mind and soul cannot be owned?

5. Analyze Repetition For each poem, identify the two phrases or sections
that are repeated most frequently and write them in a chart like the one
shown. Complete the chart by noting how these repeated words contribute
to the poem's meaning.

: Effect onPoeis Mea.niaq ',

tl
l

:?-

O S. Compare Word Choice Review the charts you made as you read the poems.

Make a generalization, or overall statement, about each poet's word choice.
What is different about the words chosen for each poem?

7. Draw Conclusions Do you think the people mentioned in "One More Round"
would agree with the speaker of "Not My Bones" that "you are not your
body"? Explain why or why not.

Extension and Challenge

8. Creative Project: Music Work with a small group to create a song from "One

More Round." Practice reading the poem aloud, using desks, pencils, or other
classroom materials as drums to keep the rhythm. Perform your piece for
the class.

When do you feel most fREE?

Which poem's theme do you think conveys a greater sense of freedom?
Support your response with details from the poem.

650 uNrr t: poETRy