To A Daughter With Artistic Talent

In which lines does the poet use personification to create a somber mood?

• Lines 3 through 5

• Lines 9 and 10

• Lines 17 through 19

• Lines 28 and 29

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Lines 20 and 21 suggest that the speaker —

• wants to be honest about how little he understands the creative impulse

• does not want to mislead his daughter into believing that she has special talent

• is now willing to risk hurting his daughter’s self-esteem by telling her the truth about her work

• wants to admit his confusion about the sometimes-stifling life choices that creative people make

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read lines 26 and 27 from the poem:

"when the sky is a surreal sea in which you drown . . ."

This image can best be interpreted as meaning that —

• a child sees the sky as a magical ocean full of mysterious creatures

• the speaker hopes to save his daughter from a terrible future

• artists experience a sea of wild and unpredictable emotions

• there is a danger that artists may get lost in their own creations

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

The final line of the poem suggests that —

• the daughter will develop an interest in more practical pursuits as she matures

• the speaker expects his daughter’s art to transform as she grows older

• the daughter’s paintings will become more whimsical as she develops her technical skills

• the speaker believes that his daughter will one day be a successful professional artist

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which sentence describes a shift in the poem’s focus?

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s creative struggles, while in stanza 2, he imagines her eventual success as an artist.

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s paintings, while in stanza 2, he describes his own artwork.

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s art as an expression of childhood, while in stanza 2, he considers her future as a mature artist.

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s early artistic success, while in stanza 2, he questions whether she should pursue a career as a painter.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2