Elements of Poetry (EDG)

Read the excerpt from Between the Silver and the Ash.

In wintertime you will not see

The object of your heart's desire.

The treasure that will set you free

You will not find in earth or fire.

But stand where rocks and pebbles sing

And seek the joyous sounds of spring.

Based on the poet’s word choices, what is the tone toward those who seek the treasure?

• disinterested

• mocking

• encouraging

• humorous

Shakespeare’s sonnets all have which characteristic?

• They all contain one quatrain and nine couplets.

• They all contain two quatrains and five couplets.

• They all contain four quatrains and no couplets.

• They all contain three quatrains and a couplet.

Read the excerpt from "Sonnet 29.”

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself, and curse my fate,

What is the rhyme scheme of these lines?

• abab

• abba

• abcb

• abac

Which is one characteristic of iambic pentameter?

• Each line contains twelve syllables.

• Each line contains ten syllables.

• Each line contains eight syllables.

• Each line contains six syllables.

Which statement about iambic pentameter is correct?

• An iamb consists of two unstressed syllables followed by two stressed syllables.

• An iamb consists of a unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

• An iamb consists of a stressed syllable followed by another stressed syllable.

• An iamb consists of five stressed syllables followed by five unstressed syllables.

Read the excerpt from "Dreams," by Edgar Allan Poe.

For I have revell'd, when the sun was bright

I' the summer sky, in dreams of living light

And loveliness,- have left my very heart

In climes of my imagining, apart

How does Poe use a sound device in the excerpt?

• He uses assonance to add fluidity to his unrhymed verse.

• He uses alliteration to emphasize the happiness of his recollections.

• He uses consonance to add harsh emotion to his youthful memories.

• He creates a cacophony of sounds to bring his dreams to life.

Read the excerpt from "Dreams," by Edgar Allan Poe.

Dreams! in their vivid coloring of life,

As in that fleeting, shadowy, misty strife

Of semblance with reality, which brings

To the delirious eye, more lovely things

How does the rhythm of the excerpt support the theme of the poem?

• The rhythm is consistent, and Poe celebrates the consistent relief of his dreams.

• The rhythm is continuous, and Poe celebrates the continuous cycle of life.

• The rhythm is sporadic, and Poe bemoans the brevity of his dreams.

• The rhythm is unpredictable, and Poe bemoans his inability to conjure dreams.

Read this excerpt from "Street Cleaning Day.”

And now there was plenty

of space for Square to park.

Everyone stood amazed

at what they’d unleashed

in themselves.

"Thanks for making a space

for me,” said Square.

"That’s what neighbors do,”

said Circle.

Which part of the poem does this excerpt show?

• the exposition

• the rising action

• the falling action

• the resolution

Read the excerpt from “Street Cleaning Day.”

An open space on the street

snapped him out of his thoughts

and back to the wheel.

He sped up a little

and moved close to the curb,

pulling ahead of the space.

Just as he shifted his car

in reverse, a flash

swooped in from behind

and took from Square

what the morning had offered.

How is this excerpt important to the poem as a whole?

• It shows the exposition.

• It introduces the main characters.

• It shows the falling action.

• It introduces the conflict.

Read this excerpt from “Street Cleaning Day.”

An open space on the street

snapped him out of his thoughts

and back to the wheel.

He sped up a little

and moved close to the curb,

pulling ahead of the space.

Just as he shifted his car

in reverse, a flash

swooped in from behind

and took from Square

what the morning had offered.

Out hopped Triangle

from his truck, whistling, his point

gleaming in the sun. Square fumed

and each of his corners

turned pepper red.

What do geometric-shape characters best help the reader visualize?

• a setting that is mathematical

• a setting filled with geometry

• the pure emotion of the characters

• the attitudes of the characters