The Ballad of John Henry

What is an important theme (lesson learned) of the poem?

• No one is stronger than death.

• The human spirit is stronger than any machine.

• Inner strength is more important than outer strength.

• Remarkable people are born with the qualities that make them great.

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CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.5

Which lines from the poem best illustrate that beating the steel drill is John Henry's destiny?

• When John Henry was a little tiny baby, Sitting on his mama's knee, He picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel Saying, "Hammer's going to be the death of me, Lord, Lord, Hammer's going to be death of me."

• John Henry said to his captain , "Captain, you go to town, Bring me back a twelve-pound hammer, please, And I'll beat that steam drill down, Lord, Lord, I'll beat that steam drill down.

• John Henry said to his shaker, "Shaker, boy, you better start to pray, 'Cause if my twelve-pound hammer miss that little piece of steel, Tomorrow'll be your burying day, Lord, Lord, Tomorrow'll be your burying day.

• John Henry hammered on the right-hand side. Steam drill kept driving on the left. John Henry beat that steam drill down. But he hammered his poor heart to death, Lord, Lord, He hammered his poor heart to death.

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CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

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CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Read the lines from the poem. "But John Henry said, 'Captain, just you stand aside - It's nothing but my hammer catching wind, Lord, Lord, It's nothing but my hammer catching wind.'" The author uses the metaphor of John Henry's hammer "catching wind" to-

• call to mind a cooling wind

• give the reader a mental image of the hammer

• suggest the pace of John Henry's hammering

• help the reader imagine coolness of the metal hammer

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CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

Read this stanza from the poem. "John Henry said to his SHAKER, "Shaker, boy, you better start to pray, 'Cause if my twelve-pound hammer miss that little piece of steel, Tomorrow'll be your burying day, Lord, Lord, Tomorrow'll be your burying day.'" Based on the context of the stanza, what dose the word SHAKER most likely mean?

• A container used for holding loose items

• A member of the Shaker religion

• A person whose job is to hold a tool

• A person who is shivering uncontrollably

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CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4