STAAR Poem Review

How are the train and the speaker similar?

• Like the train that has a schedule to keep, the speaker has an approaching responsibility

• Like the train that stays on a straight course, the speaker avoids change

• Like the train that travels at midnight, the speaker prefers to work during the night

Which line from the poem best expresses the speaker’s sense of dread?

• and it’s midnight

• and needed rest

• When I lie in wait

• from so many miles away

The sensory language in the first stanza is used to emphasize that the:

• speaker’s time is wasted during the weekend

• speaker’s weekend of fun and relaxation is over

• speaker uses the weekend to organize things

The poet uses a simile in lines 23 and 24 to reveal that the speaker:

• wants to be outside

• cannot get comfortable

• might be having a dream

Dividing the poem into two stanzas allows the poet to —

• compare the speaker’s schedule with the train’s schedule

• ask questions to keep the reader guessing about what will happen

• contrast the speaker’s feelings about weekends and Mondays

The train is important to the poem because it represents:

• reflecting on the past

• visiting distant places

• following a planned routine

The poet likely intends for the last two lines to express the speaker’s:

• fear of the arriving train

• concern about doing well in school

• anxiety about the coming day

"The train

in passing brays and boasts

it's steel-track-straight,

on schedule,

arrival times to keep." (Lines 18-22)

What types of figurative language can be found in this excerpt? (Select 2)

• alliteration

• simile

• hyperbole

• personification

"When I lie in wait

for Monday

to grab me by the ear..." (Lines 8-10)

What types of figurative language can be found in this excerpt? (Select 2)

• personification

• simile

• metaphor

• imagery

From what perspective is this poem written in?

• 1st person

• 2nd person

• 3rd person - limited

• 3rd person - omniscient