Similes, Metaphors, and Hyperbole in Poetry

Read the poem below:

the drum

by Nikki Giovanni

daddy says the world is

a drum tight and hard

and i told him

i’m gonna beat

out my own rhythm

What comparison does the poem make?

• She compares herself to a rhythm.

• The poem compares the world to a drum.

• The speaker compares her father to the world.

• The speaker compares her father to a drum.

Read the poem below:

the drum

by Nikki Giovanni

daddy says the world is

a drum tight and hard

and i told him

i’m gonna beat

out my own rhythm

What is the meaning behind the comparison?

• The world is loud and scary like a drum.

• The speaker wants to be a musician when she grows up.

• Her father is strict like a drum beat.

• The world is a hard and challenging place.

Read the poem below:

the drum

by Nikki Giovanni

daddy says the world is

a drum tight and hard

and i told him

i’m gonna beat

out my own rhythm

What is the meaning behind the speaker's response to her father?

• The speaker is not going to let anyone discourage her from going after her dreams.

• The speaker is going to pursue music as a career and be a drummer in a band.

• The speaker is going to change her goals after her father's warning about the world.

• The speaker is still planning to pursue her dream of being a dancer.

Read the poem below:

My Dog

-Sharon Hendricks

His bark breaks the sound barrier

His nose is as cold as an ice box.

The wag of his tail causes hurricanes

His jump causes falling rocks.

He eats a mountain of dog food

And drinks a water fall dry.

But though he breaks the bank

He's the apple of my eye.

What is the meaning behind the underlined line?

• Her dog eats a lot of food.

• When she pours the dog food in the bowl, it resembles a mountain.

• The dog food package has a picture of a mountain on it.

• After he eats, the dog has enough energy to climb a mountain.

Read the poem below:

My Dog

-Sharon Hendricks

His bark breaks the sound barrier

His nose is as cold as an ice box.

The wag of his tail causes hurricanes

His jump causes falling rocks.

He eats a mountain of dog food

And drinks a water fall dry.

But though he breaks the bank

He's the apple of my eye.

How does the tone of the poem change?

• The speaker is sad about her missing dog but happy when he is found.

• The speaker spends most of the poem praising her dog but ends up wishing she had never adopted him.

• The speaker spends most of the poem complaining about her dog but then admits to adoring him.

• The speaker describes the dog's appearance and then describes the dog's personality.

When the poet compares the daffodils to stars in the milky way, what is the intended meaning?

• To emphasize the daffodils' color - they were a very bright yellow.

• To emphasize how the flowers' movement resembled twinkling stars.

• To emphasize the shape of the daffodils - they resembled stars.

• To emphasize the number of daffodils - there were so many of them!

Read the excerpt below:

Till all the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt with the sun;

And I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

What is the intended meaning of the stanza?

• The speaker is promising to love this person forever.

• The speaker is forecasting that climate change will cause rocks to melt.

• The speaker is comparing how much he loves this person with the amount of water in the ocean.

• The speaker is promising to take is beloved on a trip.

Read the poem below:

the drum

by Nikki Giovanni

daddy says the world is

a drum tight and hard

and i told him

i’m gonna beat

out my own rhythm

This poem is mostly an example of ...

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

Read the excerpt below:

Till all the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt with the sun;

And I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

This stanza is mostly an example of ...

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

Read the poem below:

My Dog

-Sharon Hendricks

His bark breaks the sound barrier

His nose is as cold as an ice box.

The wag of his tail causes hurricanes

His jump causes falling rocks.

He eats a mountain of dog food

And drinks a water fall dry.

But though he breaks the bank

He's the apple of my eye.

All of the underlined lines contain an example of ...

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole