Some More Poetry

Word Cloud

How do you feel about poetry?

Figurative Language Terms Review

Simile: comparison of 2 things using like or as
Metaphor: comparison of 2 things without using like or as
Personification: giving something inanimate the traits of a human
Symbolism: the use of something to represent something else
Imagery: the use of language the appeals to the five senses
Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
Consonance: repetition of consonant sounds anywhere in the words
Assonance: repetition of vowel sounds anywhere in the words
Hyperbole: exaggeration for emphasis
Meiosis: understatement

Match

Match the following

• Theme

• Assonance

• Alliteration

• Symbol

Author's message

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled popsicles

Something that represents something else

• Author's message

• The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled popsicles

• Something that represents something else

Match

Match the following to complete the definition:

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Hyperbole

• Irony

comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as".

comparison of two unlike things that share something in common without using "like" or "as".

when an idea or object is given human attributes and/or feelings.

overly exaggerated statement or claim.

contradictory statement or situations reveal a reality that is different of what appears to be true.

• comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as".

• comparison of two unlike things that share something in common without using "like" or "as".

• when an idea or object is given human attributes and/or feelings.

• overly exaggerated statement or claim.

• contradictory statement or situations reveal a reality that is different of what appears to be true.

Standard & Objective

ELA.10.R.1.4: Analyze how authors create multiple layers of meaning
and/or ambiguity in a poem.
Students should:
•

Know how to approach poetry using TPCASTT

•

Be able to identify the theme in a poem (using TPCASTT)

•

Use text evidence to support their analysis of a poem

•

Use text evidence to identify an author's argument &
to support their own

Task #1: "If We
Must Die" by
Claude McKay

This is another sonnet & one of
McKay's most famous works. Pay
close attention to the animal
imagery & its cumulative effect
over the course of the poem. We
are going to listen to one of the
many recordings of this poem being
recited prior to answering the
corresponding questions.

Multiple Choice

"If we must die-let it not be like hogs" is an example of:

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Alliteration

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of the alliteration in line 4?

(Making their mock at our accursèd lot.)

• It repeats a letter sound to imitate the sound of giggling.

• It draws readers in to create a smooth flow.

• It repeats a letter sound to highlight the insults being made.

• It draws readers' attention to the playful mood of the poem.

Multiple Choice

"While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs" is an example of:

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Alliteration

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of lines 7-8?

(In vain; then even the monsters we defy

Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!)

• that the enemy are a bunch of emotionless monsters

• that dying honorably forces even the enemy to pay their respects

• that they are ready to fight back against the enemy despite the dire circumstances

• that they are united as one front against an un-unified enemy

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes the main theme of the poem?

• Dignity is worth fighting for, even at the assurance of death.

• It is dishonorable to lose a fight, even if one is outnumbered.

• Do what is necessary to survive, even if it means acting out of fear.

• People who die in battle, even for a noble cause, are often forgotten.

​Task #2: "To One Coming North"

This is another Claude McKay poem in Actively Learn.

Please remember to be thoughtful & thorough in your short answer response.

Multiple Choice

"At first you'll joy to see the playful snow" is an example of:

• alliteration

• simile

• personification

• metaphor

Multiple Choice

"Like white moths trembling on the tropic air" is an example of:

• metaphor

• assonance

• simile

• personification

Multiple Choice

"And the wind-worried void is chilly, raw" is an example of:

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Alliteration

• Assonance

Multiple Choice

"But oh! more than the changeless southern isles" is an example of which part of TPCASTT?

• Title

• Paraphrase

• Connotation

• Shift

Task #3: "Mother to Son"

This poem does not have a rhyme scheme or
follow any traditional structure. It is a
monologue, meaning one person is speaking
to someone else (who is not speaking). The
title reveals who is speaking and to whom.
Please open this assignment in Actively Learn
so you can read along while Langston Hughes
himself reads his poem to us. After, we will
listen to Viola Davis reading the text. Pay
close attention to the difference in your
response to each.

Hughes Reading
Davis Reading

Multiple Choice

What is the speaker comparing the stairs to?

• Her childhood

• Her partner

• America

• Her life

Multiple Choice

How has the speaker described her life so far?

• As a fancy, beautiful staircase.

• As flawless, without trials.

• As a difficult, painful climb

• As a strange, spiral staircase

Multiple Choice

Why did the speaker share that it felt like they were "sometimes goin' in the dark"? What feelings does that evoke?

• Frightening and confusing

• Sad and devastating

• Adventurous

• Exciting

Multiple Choice

How does the speaker end the poem? What does she tell the boy?

• That he will not be able to reach the top without a lot of help.

• That crystal stairs are not hard to climb if he does not turn back.

• That he should keep going up the stairs, because she is still going.

Multiple Choice

In the poem, who is the speaker addressing, and what are they addressing?

• A mother is telling a story to her child about her own childhood.

• A mother is speaking to her son about climbing a crystal staircase.

• A son is retelling a conversation his mother had with him about earning money.

• A mother is warning her son about the difficulties of life and perseverance.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme and central metaphor of the poem?

• The narrator describes a tiring climb up a beat-up staircase, representing life's struggles.

• The narrator describes a beat-up staircase turning into a crystal staircase, representing her overcoming hardship.

• The narrator describes herself going down a spiral staircase, representing her continuous problems.

Task #4: "My Papa's Waltz"

Read "My Papa's Waltz" in Actively Learn, taking and answering notes and questions.

This is considered a ballad because of its elements, which include: content, rhyme scheme, and
structure.

Pay close attention to the diction throughout the poem.

Extra Credit Opportunities

If you are at risk, or if you just want to
pad your grade, I'm offering a few
assignments temporarily in Actively
Learn as grade recovery/extra credit
opportunities. They are:

Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course
Theatre

Langston Hughes: Crash Course