A Bird Came Down the Walk

Select two features that tell readers “A Bird Came Down the Walk” is a poem.

• A It tells a story.

• B It is about nature.

• C It is written in stanzas.

• D It has a bird as a character.

• E It has a regular rhythm, or meter.

Which lines from stanza 4 describes the bird taking flight?

• Like one in danger; cautious

• I offered him a crumb

• And he unrolled his feathers

• And rowed him softer home

What is the message of this poem?

• Nature changes frequently

• A simple everyday event can explain the beauty of nature

• The love of nature can be enjoyed by everyone.

• Nature is complex and people have a hard time understanding it

Read the following lines from the third and fourth stanzas of the poem.

He stirred his velvet head

Like one in danger . . .

What is the meaning of “stirred” as it is used in these lines.

• A quickly moved

• B held still

• C mixed

• D slowly nodded

Select one sentence that supports that the theme could be that observing animals in nature is worth it.

• The bird eats an angleworm and drinks water from grass.

• The bird hops sideways to a wall to let a beetle pass.

• The speaker thinks that the bird's eyes look like frightened beads.

• The speaker describes the bird's flight by mentioning the ocean, silver, and butterflies.

Read these lines from the beginning of the poem.

A Bird came down the walk:

He did not know I saw;

He bit an angleworm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw.

Which lines end with words that rhyme?

• A lines 3 and 4 rhyme

• B all four lines rhyme

• C lines 1 and 3 rhyme

• D lines 2 and 4 rhyme

Part A

Which of the following best describes the theme, or big idea, of the poem?

• A Animals and humans have much in common.

• B Birds would much rather eat bugs and worms than bread.

• C Observing wild animals is worth the effort.

• D People would be happier if they could fly like birds and butterflies.

What evidence does the speaker present that the bird looks frightened?

• The bird attacks and eats an angleworm.

• The bird hops on a wall to let a beetle pass.

• The bird's eyes move around rapidly, looking at everything.

• The bird flies away to its home.

What is the setting of the poem?

• a busy street

• a thick forest trail

• a silver ocean

• a quiet garden path

What can the reader conclude about the speaker based on the ideas presented in the poem?

• the speaker is not respectful

• the speaker admires the bird

• the speaker wishes to put the bird in a cge

• the speaker is confused by the bird's actions.