Structure in "I Hear America Singing"

Structure in "I Hear America Singing"

​

"The Cruel Moon"

The cruel Moon hangs out of reach

Up above the shadowy beech. . . .

Nurse says the Moon can drive you mad?

No, that's a silly story, lad!

—Robert Graves

Multiple Choice

This is an example of free verse poetry.

• True

• False

“I Hear America Singing,”

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat – the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench – the hatter singing as he stands.

— Walt Whitman

Multiple Select

In what three ways does Whitman’s poem match the time in which he was writing?

• The poem celebrates people.

• The poem breaks rules about structure.

• The poem has rhyme.

• The poem shows a positive picture.

• The poem is tightly structured.

I Hear America Singing

The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat – the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench – the hatter singing as he stands.

—Walt Whitman

Multiple Select

In what three ways does Whitman use repetition in this passage from his poem?

• by repeating rhymed words

• by repeating “singing”

• by including the workers’ first names

• by starting each line with a type of worker

• by ending each line with what each person does while singing

Multiple Choice

What type of image does Whitman create by having the workers sing repeatedly?

• an image of happy workers

• an image of bored workers

• an image of tired workers

• an image of angry workers

Draw

How do you feel about today's lesson? Circle Green if you feel pretty good, yellow if feel ok, and red if you feel confused.