Sister Poem Analysis

At the time the photograph was taken, the speaker is

• camera shy
• quite young
• very obedient
• feeling resentment

The words "take her hand, come on" (line 6) are in italics because they 

• are not the narrator's words
• represent a command
• exist in memory
• are spoken

The speaker cannot remember holding her sister's hand because

• many years have passed
• she dislikes contact with her sister
• the photographer has frightened her
• being disobedient is normal for the girls

The description in lines 7 to 10 creates a mood of

• fear
• violence
• confusion
• evil

Repetition of the word "who" in lines 8 - 10 serves to

• indicate point of view
• create atmosphere
• develop the event
• create emphasis

The word "squashed" (line 12) suggests that the girls' past has been

• lost
• altered
• hidden
• exaggerated

The statement "we are too different now" (line 15) can be MOST correctly identified as

• a lie
• a plea
• an apology
• an excuse

One of the main ideas of the poem is that

• relatives need to be supportive of one another
• family photographs can express only appearances 
• time may change the feelings between people
• children naturally compete for the attention of elders

The point of view in this poem can be classified as

• first person
• second person
• third person
• first person and third person

In the final two lines of the poem, the speaker's tone is one of

• hostility
• impatience
• longing
• confusion