Anna's Monsters (Theme)

Which phrase best states the meaning of all in your head?

• easy to see

• ready to attack you

• only imagined

• giving you a headache

Which detail in the first stanza best helps the reader understand the meaning of all in your head?

• "Im scared of the darkness..."

• "I sleep with the lights on,..."

• "Whenever I climb into bed."

• "Anna, you're just being silly..."

Which statement best summarizes the speaker's message about fears?

• A. For most people, nighttime is scary because it is dark and quiet and nobody is awake.

• B. Many people are much too fearful, and some are even afraid of their own surroundings. 

• C. It can be hard to stop being afraid, even when someone proves that what you fear is not real.

• D. It is easy to get over a fear once someone shows you that your fear is based on something that is not real. 

How are the events in stanzas two and three important to the poem's theme?

• These events show Anna doesn't like the dark of night because that is when she sees the monsters.

• These events show Anna remembers it was last night that she heard a squeak.

• These events show Anna's mother comes running in fear when Anna screams.

• These events show Anna believes that monsters make the noises that scare her in the dark.

Select one choice from each stanza that best supports the answer to Part A.

• "...because of what happened..." (stanza two)

• "I knew it was monsters,..." (stanza three)

• "...'Whatever' she asked me, 'was that?"(stanza two)

• "It was all I could do..."(stanza three)

• "...I screamed out in terror." (stanza two)

Which line from the poem best summarizes a theme of the poem?

• "The monsters are all in your head!"(line 8)

• "Rolled over,and heard a strange squeak."(line 12)

• "So I screamed out in terror. My mother came running!" (line 15)

• "I don't like the darkness, I said to my mother." (line 21)