Passage 2: Poem - Waiting

What is the main subject of the poem?

• A solitary oak tree

• Autumn's grasses

• A flock of crows

• The sky

What does the phrase 'Beneath that arching canopy, somehow still green' suggest about the oak tree?

• It is dying

• It retains some life despite autumn

• It is covered in snow

• It is surrounded by crows

Read the poem 'Waiting' and fill in the blank: The poet describes the wind as 'The slightest breeze begins to rise, a whispered ____.'

• wish

• song

• dream

• secret

What fills the air in a heartbeat according to the poem?

• Leaves

• Crows

• Rain

• Grass

The mood created by the phrase 'The bleak emptiness of a solitary tree . . .' is:

• joyful

• hopeful

• lonely

• excited

At the end of the poem, what happens to the oak tree?

• The oak tree falls down.

• The oak tree grows taller.

• The oak tree is struck by lightning.

• The oak tree is cut down.

How does the figurative language in the sentence contribute to the mood of the stanza?

• Through the use of a simile, the language develops a hopeful mood that foreshadows how the oak tree will grow.

• Through the use of personification, the language creates a sentimental mood that indicates the speaker’s love for the oak tree.

• Through the use of hyperbole, the language develops a panicked mood that suggests there is limited time to view the oak tree.

• Through the use of a metaphor, the language creates a dreary mood that reflects how the speaker views the oak tree’s situation.

How is a narrative technique used throughout the poem to develop the setting?

• The use of dramatic irony creates tension from the speaker’s lack of knowledge of what is waiting in the tree.

• The use of symbolism suggests that autumn is a time to reflect on the wonder of childhood.

• The use of flashback reveals the speaker’s memory of autumn from an earlier time.

• The use of imagery illustrates the gloomy mood of an autumn day.

Which TWO statements describe how poetic techniques are used in stanza 2 (lines 10–15) to present content?

• The poet uses personification to emphasize the movement of the grasses.

• The poet uses visual imagery to describe the wind traveling through the oak tree.

• The poet uses alliteration to mimic the musical sound of the wind as it moves.

• The poet uses hyperbole to emphasize the strength of the wind as it reaches the oak tree.

• The poet uses rhyming couplets to create a flow that is similar to the movement of the grasses.

Which word is closest to the meaning of the word solitary as it is used in the poem?

• ancient

• gigantic

• isolated

• majestic