Fireflies in the Garden

Fireflies in the Garden

ELA Review: Poetry

Words to Watch For

• Emulating: to imitate

• Equal: being the same in value

• Sustain: to continue for an extended period of time

Fireflies in the Garden

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,

And here on earth come emulating flies,

That though they never equal stars in size,

(And they were never really stars at heart)  

Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Open Ended

What are two ways that the poet contrasts flies and stars in this poem?

Multiple Choice

What kind of insect is this poem about?

• ants

• grasshoppers

• fireflies

• dragonflies

Multiple Choice

What does the poet compare and contrast fireflies with in this poem?

• planes

• planets

• comets

• stars

Multiple Choice

And here on earth come emulating flies,

That though they never equal stars in size,

(And they were never really stars at heart)

Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

What can you conclude from these lines?

• The fireflies cannot act like they are stars for very long.

• The fireflies do not want to be like stars.

• The fireflies are able to shine brightly like stars without ever stopping.

• The fireflies can grow to be the same size as stars.

Multiple Choice

That though they never equal stars in size,

(And they were never really stars at heart)

Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Why might the poet have included the phrase “of course” in the last line?

• to show that the poet does not really know much about fireflies

• to show that the poet thought the fireflies would be able to sustain the part

• to show that the poet wishes that fireflies could sustain the part

• to show that the poet is not surprised that fireflies cannot sustain the part

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of this poem?

• Fireflies can seem very star-like, but only for a short time.

• Although stars are larger in size, fireflies are more beautiful than stars.

• Fireflies live in the garden, while stars appear in the sky.

• Fireflies and stars are both interesting things to study.

Open Ended

In what way are flies similar to stars, based on the poem?

Multiple Choice

And here on earth come emulating flies,

That though they never equal stars in size,

(And they were never really stars at heart)

Achieve at times a very star-like start.

Why might the poet have chosen to use the word “achieve” in the last of these lines?

• to make it seem like fireflies do not want to look like stars

• to make it seem like fireflies sometimes look like stars by accident

• to make it seem like fireflies are very intelligent insects

• to make it seem like fireflies are trying and succeeding at looking like stars

Multiple Choice

What does the word “they” refer to throughout the poem?

• stars

• skies

• flies

• parts

Open Ended

“Emulating” means imitating, or trying to be like something else. Why might the poet have called fireflies “emulating flies” in this poem? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.