One Saturday Poem

What is the main feeling expressed by the speaker about school in the poem "Saturday at the Canal"?

• Excitement and joy

• Indifference and boredom

• Disappointment and confinement

• Curiosity and eagerness

According to the poem, what does the speaker and their friend do on Saturday?

• They go to a concert

• They sit watching the water and hurl large rocks at the dusty ground

• They play music on a guitar

• They study for school

What does the imagery of "San Francisco was a postcard" in the poem suggest about the speaker's view of San Francisco?

• It is a place they frequently visit

• It is an unattainable or distant ideal

• It is a boring and uninteresting place

• It is their hometown

What does the reference to "migrating birds" symbolize in the poem?

• The freedom to travel and explore

• The arrival of spring

• The routine of daily life

• The dangers of the natural world

According to the poem, what action did the speaker want to take?

• The speaker wanted to sit quietly by the water.

• The speaker wanted to cross the bridge.

• The speaker wanted to "get out" or escape the situation.

• The speaker wanted to watch the water flow.

Based on lines 15-17, what does the imagery suggest about the speaker's attitude towards their current situation?

• The speaker feels trapped and hopeless.

• The speaker is content and at peace.

• The speaker is excited and optimistic.

• The speaker is indifferent and detached.

When describing his teachers, the speaker says they were "too close to dying to understand" (Lines 4-5). What is the most likely interpretation of these lines?

• The teachers don’t understand how to help students set goals for their lives.

• The teachers don’t understand how to improve school for their students.

• The teachers don’t understand young people’s friendships.

• The teachers don’t understand young people’s problems.

In lines 17-18, the speaker says "By bus or car, / By the sway of train over a long bridge." What do these lines indicate about the speaker?

• They cannot afford transportation to leave town.

• They are desperate to get out any way they can.

• They live in a town that is difficult to get to.

• They enjoy the feeling of moving quickly.

In the first line of the poem, the speaker says, "I was hoping to be happy by seventeen." How does this line contribute to the meaning of the poem?

• It emphasizes the difference between the life the speaker hoped for and the disappointing life they have.

• It emphasizes the difference between how old the speaker feels and how old the speaker actually is.

• It emphasizes the difference between how quickly adolescence passes and how slow it feels.

• It emphasizes the difference between the way the speaker views school and the reality of it.

What is the main theme of the poem "Saturday at the Canal" by Gary Soto as discussed in the document?

• The challenges of young adulthood

• The excitement of childhood games

• The importance of education

• The experience of traveling