Middle School Poetry

How Far I'll Go

by Alessia Cara

I've been standing at the edge of the water

'Long as I can remember, never really knowing why

I wish I could be the perfect daughter

But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try

Every turn I take, every trail I track

Every path I make, every road leads back

To the place I know, where I can not go

Though I long to be

See the line where the sky meets the sea it calls me

And no one knows, how far it goes

If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me

One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll go

I know, everybody on this island seems so happy on this island

Everything is by design

I know, everybody on this island has a role on this island

So maybe I can roll with mine

What problem is the speaker facing in this poem?

• She doesn't know how to get across the ocean.

• She doesn't know how far she will go.

• She doesn't know if she should do what she is supposed to do or take a risk and leave.

• She wants to know what is beyond the horizon.

The second step in analyzing poetry is to look for repetition. What is repetition?

• Things that are repeated such as words, phrases, or sounds.

• Giving human qualities to animals or objects.

• Comparing something using like or as.

• The arrangement of lines into groups, separated by empty lines.

What is poetry?

• A written work that uses figurative language and rhythms to show meaning.

• A story with a beginning, middle, and end.

• An informative written work that uses facts and data.

True or False: Poetry always follows grammar rules.

• True

• False

What is a stanza?

• The end or conclusion of a poem.

• The arrangement of lines into groups, separated by empty lines.

• The theme or lesson learned.

• The title of the poem.

How many lines are in this stanza?

• 15

• 3

• 5

• 4

What is the first step in analyzing poetry?

• Identify the text structure.

• Look for facts.

• Look for figurative language.

What is the final step in analyzing poetry?

• Look for characters to make connections with.

• Look for connections to your literature club books.

• Look for connections between the poem and title/images.

• Look for connections to nature.

True or False: All poems do not have to rhyme.

• True

• False

Which type of poem follows a rhyme pattern?

• Free verse

• Ballad