Poetry Analysis

What is the theme of this poem?

At the End

_{by Ed Meek}

He was so old his bones seemed to swim in his skin.

And when I took his hand to feel his pulse

I felt myself drawn in. It was as faint

as the steps of a child

padding across the floor in slippers,

and yet he was smiling.

I could almost hear a river

running beneath his breath.

The water clear and cold and deep.

He was ready and willing to wade on in.

• Facing death is like crossing a raging river.

• The elderly are fragile and must be treated gently.

• There is no reason to fear death.

• Old age is as simple as childhood.

The italicized red lines in the poem are an example of:

He was so old his bones seemed to swim in his skin.

And when I took his hand to feel his pulse

I felt myself drawn in. It was as faint

as the steps of a child

padding across the floor in slippers,

and yet he was smiling.

I could almost hear a river

running beneath his breath.

The water clear and cold and deep.

He was ready and willing to wade on in.

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• alliteration

What is the theme or message of this poem?

When You Are Old

^{BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS}

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

• When in old age, look back fondly on your past.

• Old people are sleepy and slow.

• Everyone has their dying day.

• The past is full of terrifying memories.

The underlined portion in this poem is an example of which figurative language?

When You Are Old

^{BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS}

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• alliteration

In the above stanza, the descriptions of the light falling "solemnly" is an example of what type of figurative language?

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Personification

• Hyperbole

What could the bicycle and tree house most likely symbolize?

• Childhood

• Love

• Death

• Maturity

Which main idea/theme can be assumed from the stanza above?

• With age comes more freedom.

• The imagination of children is limitless.

• Getting older always comes with more responsibility.

• Growing up means leaving the wonders of childhood behind.

The stanza above contains and example of which of the following?

• Oxymoron

• Hyperbole

• Metaphor

• Simile

The "roads" in Robert Frost's poem are most likely symbolism for what?

• Life choices we make

• People we never meet

• Dreams we have in life

• Plans we make for ourselves

Which of the following is a possible theme for "The Road Not Taken?"

• Cherish the time you have with people you love.

• The best laid plans often go awry.

• In dwelling on dreams, we forget to live.

• The choices we make define who we are.