"The Negro Speaks of Rivers"

How does the repeating structure of the lines in the first stanza contribute to the meaning of the poem?

• By connecting the speaker to historical rivers

• By describing how rivers have changed over time

• By showing why the rivers can cause people to dream

• By explaining why the speaker has abandoned the rivers

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.5

What does the phrase when dawns were young in line 5 most likely indicate about the time period being discussed?

• The earth was still new.

• The days did not last as long.

• The speaker was a child then.

• The speaker can barely remember.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4A

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.4

Reread the line from the poem below and answer the question that follows:

“I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.”

What is the meaning of lulled as it appears in the text?

• Calmed

• Tricked

• Frightened

• Defended

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4A

CCSS.RL.6.4

Reread these lines from the poem and answer the questions that follow.

I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln

went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy

bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

Part A

What is the connotation of muddy?

• Negative

• Positive

• Neutral

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4A

CCSS.L.6.5C

CCSS.RL.6.4

How does the phrase turn all golden relate to the word muddy?

• It shows the destruction by fire of nature’s beauty.

• It shows the transformation to something beautiful.

• It shows how both the earth and the sun are ruined.

• It shows how both the earth and the sun are celebrated.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

CCSS.RL.6.4

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1864, freeing the slaves in the United States. How does the allusion to Lincoln in these lines contribute to their meaning?

• By explaining how the river was discovered

• By explaining the pain that the river has caused

• By explaining the best time of day to visit the river

• By explaining why the river has become a site of celebration

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.5

What is a theme of the poem?

• History can be changed.

• . Nature presents unique dangers.

• Travel can inspire with new ideas.

• People are connected to their pasts.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

How does the poet develop this theme?

• By warning about the force of different rivers

• By connecting black people to different periods of time

• By describing different trips one can take around the world

• By arguing for a different understanding of historical events

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.5