Poetry Study Guide

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

Which sentence best describes the meaning of the phrase “spearmint wind”, as it is used in line 5?

• The sun smells like sweet candy.

• The sun is energizing and refreshing.

• The sun is blue-green in color.

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

The phrase “spearmint wind” as it is used in line 5 means sun is energizing and refreshing. Which detail from the text best supports this?

• “Soft and white” (Line 3)

• “Shining bright” (Line 4)

• “To cool” (Line 5)

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

According to the narrator’s descriptions, how do “the forest” and “the city” differ?

• “The forest” is scary and unknown, while “this place” is familiar and comfortable.

• “The forest” is dangerous because it is new, while “this place” is dangerous because it is old.

• “The forest” is unknown and inviting, while “this place” is dirty and unwelcoming.

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees

to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

According to the narrator’s descriptions, “The forest” is unknown and inviting, while “this place” is dirty and unwelcoming. Which TWO details from the poem best support these descriptions?

• “Green and Calm Forest” ( line 2) and “Let us leave” ( line 9)

• “Dark streets” (line 10 ) and “Smoke blew black” (line 11)

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees

to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

How does the alliteration in line 11 contribute to the description of “this place”?

• “Past the pits’ sounds harsh and unfriendly.

• “Asphalt flowers” bring to mind a harsh and industrial place.

• “Past the pits” sounds bouncy and playful.

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees

to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

How does the point of view differ between the speaker and the person he is speaking to?

• The speaker doesn’t know where the path ends, but the person he is speaking to does.

• The speaker knows about the path in the forest, and wants to make sure the person he is speaking to doesn’t find it.

• The speaker knows about the path in the forest and wants to show it to the person he is talking to.

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees

to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

Which of the following does NOT show how the children contribute to the theme of the poem?

• The children are the ones who mark the place leading to where the sidewalk ends.

• The children symbolize youth and innocence.

• The children lack imagination and do not contribute to the theme of the poem.

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees

to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

In the first stanza, the author compares the sidewalk to several different things.

What type of figurative language is being used?

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

• Personification

Line 12 - "And the dark street winds and bends."

What type of figurative language is being used in the line above?

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

• Personification

A Walk in the Forest

There is a place where the sidewalk ends and the forest begins.

Follow the path through the green and calm forest

and there the grass grows soft and white.

and there the sunlight shines crimson bright through the trees

to cool in the refreshing spearmint wind.

Walk through the forest where children play

and observe nature’s mysterious order

is like a wall erected in the path of disorder

Let us leave behind this place

And the dark streets are filled with the noise of the city

Past this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

Come with me and we shall escape by calming

where the children, they mark, and the children, they know

the place where the sidewalk ends.

This poem contains many examples of imagery. Which line in the poem is an example of imagery?

• Line 1

• Line 4

• Line 10