Gwendolyn Brooks Masterclass

In the dark:

Explain the situation in the first section of the poem.

• The coworker is trying to get a negative reaction out of the narrator by saying racist things

• The narrator is being followed by the police in a car with a coworker

• The narrator is imagining an interaction with her colleague from school

• A fellow professor explains that he feels forced to hire a non-white writer when he feels there are better options

In the dark:

What does someone suffering from "John Henry-ism" do?

• Fight against racism

• Overwork themselves to prove their value to others

• Notice negative things that people around them are saying

• They sit in silence to prevent people from thinking bad about them

In the dark:

What is the misunderstanding in the final section of the poem?

• The narrator is afraid of the therapist and screams at her during their session

• The therapist thinks the narrator is an intruder rather than a patient

• The narrator goes to a therapy appointment but knocks at the wrong person's door

• The therapist forgot about her appointment with the narrator, which causes her to yell in surprise

Caged bird:

Which of these words best describes the emotional state of the caged bird?

• Angry, longing

• Downtrodden, given up

• Upset, annoyed

• Confused, saddened

Caged bird:

Why doesn't the free bird sing?

• He is too busy with the other things in life

• The free bird does sing about his experiences too

• He is not a talented singer like the caged bird

• He has no reason to singe since he can experience anything he wants to

Caged Bird:

What does the phrase "unknown but longed for still" mean?

• The caged bird has not lost hope yet, but he is close to giving up

• The caged bird used to have a free life, but he is now in a cage

• The rest of the world wants the caged bird to be out after hearing his singing

• The caged bird doesn't know what he's missing, but he still misses it