Ready Lesson 8 Finding the Theme of a Poem

p. 144 Q 1. part A

The monsters are all in your head!

Which phrase best states the meaning of all in your head?

• A. easy to see

• B. ready to attack you

• C. only imagined

• D. giving you a headache

Answer explanation

The answer is C. Anna's mother is trying to convince her that the noises she hears are not monsters but her imagination at work.

A is not correct because Anna's mother is not saying that the monsters are easy to see.

B is incorrect because imaginary monsters can't attack a person.

D is not supported by the text.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RI.4.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.RL.5.1

p. 144 Q 1. part B

Which detail in the first stanza best helps the reader understand the meaning of all in your head?

• A. "I'm scared of the darkness..."

• B. "I sleep with the lights on..."

• C. "Whenever I climb into bed."

• D. "Anna, you're just being silly..."

Answer explanation

The answer is D. Anna's mother wants to convince Anna that there are no monsters in her room by calling her "silly."

Choices A, B, and C show Anna's fear, but these do not show that the fear is only in her mind.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.4.5

CCSS.RL.5.5

p. 144 Q 2

Which statement best summarizes the speaker's message about fears?

• A. For most people, nighttime is scary because it is dark and quiet and nobody is awake.

• B. Many people are much too fearful, and some are even afraid of their own surroundings.

• C. It can be hard to stop being afraid, even when someone proves that what you fear is not real.

• D. It is easy to get over a fear once someone shows you that your fear is based on something that is not real.

Answer explanation

The answer is C. It explains that although Anna's mother has demonstrated that monsters are not real, Anna's fears have not entirely gone away.

A is incorrect because there is no evidence that Anna is afraid of the quiet. She is afraid of noises.

B is not supported by evidence in the text.

D is incorrect because Anna is not finding it easy to get over her fear of the dark.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

p. 145 Q 3 part A

How are the events in stanzas two and three important to the poem's theme?

• A. These events show Anna doesn't like the dark of night because that is when she sees the monsters.

• B. These events show Anna remembers it was last night that she heard a squeak.

• C. These events show Anna's mother comes running in fear when Anna screams.

• D. These events show Anna believes that monsters make the noises that scare her in the dark.

Answer explanation

The answer is D. Anna was terrified and she screamed after hearing a squeak. She says she heard a "strange noise" and "knew it was monsters, some big hungry monsters,..."

A is incorrect because Anna thinks the noises are monsters based on what she hears, not what she sees.

B and C are both details from stanza one, and they do not develop the theme of the poem.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.4.5

CCSS.RL.5.5

p. 145 Q 3 part B

Select ONE choice from EACH stanza that BEST supports the answer for Part A.

• A and E

• B and D

• B and F

• C and D

• C and F

Answer explanation

The answer is B and D. They support the ideas that Anna screamed because she was terrified and that she really believes the noises are made by monsters.

A and C are details that do not directly point to the theme of the poem.

E and F do not support the idea that Anna is sure she heard monsters.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.4.5

CCSS.RL.5.5

p. 145 Q 4

Which line from the poem best summarizes a theme from the poem?

• A. "The monsters are all in your head!" (line 8)

• B. "Rolled over, and heard a strange squeak." (line 12)

• C. "So I screamed out in terror. My mother came running!" (line 15)

• D. "'I don't like the darkness,' I said to my mother," (line 21)

Answer explanation

The answer is A. A theme of the poem is that what we fear is not necessarily real. Anna's mother is trying to impart this lesson to her, even if Anna does not accept it.

B shows what causes Anna's fear in the poem, not a lesson about her fear.

C and D show Anna's reactions to her fear, but they do not tell a lesson about her fear.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2