Oranges by Gary Soto

From what point of view is the poem written? How does this point of view affect the poem?

(The poem is written in ____ point of view. This point of view affects the poem because it ____)

Answer explanation

The poem is written from a limited, first-person point of view. This point of view adds drama to the poem because we only know what the narrator is thinking. We do not know how the girl or the saleslady thinks or feels about any of the events.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.6

There is a stanza break between lines 42 and 43. What effect does this stanza break have on the poem? (There is a stanza break between lines because...the stanza break adds...to the poem)

Answer explanation

The stanza break gives a dramatic pause to a key moment in the poem. This is the moment in which the narrator is waiting to find out if the saleslady will let him have the 10-cent chocolate for a nickel and the orange

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.5

CCSS.W.6.9A

Read lines 43 through 45 of the poem. What two examples of figurative language do you see in these lines? What things are compared in each example? (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, allusion, idiom; state which figurative language along with the sentence)

Answer explanation

The metaphor “A few cars hissing past” compares the sound the cars make to the sound a snake or cat makes. Also, the simile “Fog hanging / Like old coats between the trees” compares the way fog looks as it gathers among the trees to the way old coats look as they hang in a closet

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.L.6.5A

CCSS.RL.6.4

To what does the author compare the orange in lines 50 through 55? What does the orange symbolize?

(The author compares the orange to...the orange represents....)(How does this make the author feel?)

Answer explanation

The author contrasts the brightness of the orange against the gray of the December day. The bright color of the orange mirrors the happiness, or brightness, of the narrator’s mood; the narrator is extremely happy with how his walk with the girl has turned out.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.L.6.5A

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.4

What are some of the themes of the poem? Support your answer with details from the poem. (One theme of “Oranges” by Gary Soto is...some evidence from the poem states...)

Answer explanation

One theme of “Oranges” by Gary Soto is the lasting impact of young love. Years after Soto’s first walk with a girl, he remembers vividly the details of that experience. He uses the words “I was twelve” and “December” to recount the timing of the event.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2