POETRY
POET’S TREE
Underneath the poet tree
Come and rest awhile with me.
And watch the way the word-web
weaves
Between the shady story leaves.
The branches of the poet tree
Reach from the mountains to the
sea.
So come and dream, or come and
climb.
Just don’t’ get hit by falling
rhymes.
-Shel Silverstein
Name:
.
Period:
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“An Introduction to Poetry” | Billy Collins
The following poem is written by Billy Collins, a poet and professor of English at Lehman College, City University of
New York. According to the Poetry Foundation, he is “famous for conversational, witty poems that welcome readers
with humor but often slip into quirky, tender, or profound observation on the everyday, reading and writing, and poetry
itself.” In an interview with PBS, Collins noted that poems should be accessible and that the reader should be able to
“walk into the poem without difficulty.”
AFTER READING
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
1. What is Billy Collins’s message through
this poem?
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
2. Identify poetic elements involved in this
poem, such as metaphor, simile,
imagery.
or walk inside the poem’s room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.
3. Which imagery is offers the most
impression to you?
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
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Poetry Warm-Up
Instructions: Discuss the questions below with your poetry group. Jot down your answers using
complete sentences.
1. What is poetry? Write your best definition (in your own words).
2. What do you like about poetry? (Or what do you think other people like about poetry?)
3. What do you dislike about poetry? (Or what do you think other people dislike about poetry?)
4. What are some poems/poets that you have read before? What was your opinion of those
poems/poets?
5. Review “How to Read a Poem” on the next two pages of your packet. How many of these strategies
do you use when reading poetry?
6. In your opinion, which step is most important?
7. Do you believe that it is possible to like a poem but not understand what it means? Explain.
8. Do you consider songs to be a form of poetry? Explain.
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How to Read a Poem
There’s really only one reason that poetry has gotten a reputation for being so darned “difficult”: it
demands your full attention and won’t settle for less. Unlike a novel, where you can drift in and out and
still follow the plot, poems are generally shorter and more intense, with less of a conventional story to
follow. If you don’t make room for the experience, you probably won’t have one.
But the rewards can be high. To make an analogy with rock and roll, it’s the difference between a two
and a half minute pop song with a hook that you get sick of after the third listen, and a slow-building
tour de force that sounds fresh and different every time you hear it. Once you’ve gotten a taste of the
really rich stuff, you just want to listen to it over and over again and figure out: how’d they do that?
Aside from its demands on your attention, there’s nothing too tricky about reading a poem. Like
anything, it’s a matter of practice. But in case you haven’t read much (or any) poetry before, we’ve put
together a short list of tips that will make it a whole lot more enjoyable.

Follow Your Ears. It’s okay to ask, “What does it mean?” when reading a poem. But it’s even
better to ask, “How does it sound?” If all else fails, treat it like a song. Even if you can’t understand
a single thing about a poem’s “subject” or “theme,” you can always say something – anything –
about the sound of the words. Does the poem move fast or slow? Does it sound awkward in
sections or does it have an even flow? Do certain words stick out more than others? Trust your inner
ear: if the poem sounds strange, it doesn’t mean you’re reading it wrong. In fact, you probably just
discovered one of the poem’s secret tricks!

Read It Aloud. OK, we’re not saying you have to shout it from the rooftops. If you’re
embarrassed and want to lock yourself in the attic and read the poem in the faintest whisper
possible, go ahead. Do whatever it takes, because reading even part of poem aloud can totally
change your perspective on how it works.

Become an Archaeologist. When you’ve drunk in the poem enough times, experiencing the
sound and images found there, it is sometimes fun to switch gears and to become an archaeologist
(you know -- someone who digs up the past and uncovers layers of history). Treat the poem like a
room you have just entered. Perhaps it’s a strange room that you’ve never seen before, filled with
objects or people that you don’t really recognize. Maybe you feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland.
Assume your role as an archaeologist and take some measurements. What’s the weather like? Are
there people there? What kind of objects do you find? Are there more verbs than adjectives? Do
you detect a rhythm? Can you hear music? Is there furniture? Are there portraits of past poets on
the walls? Are there traces of other poems or historical references to be found?

Don’t Skim. Unlike the newspaper or a textbook, the point of poetry isn’t to cram information
into your brain. We can’t repeat it enough: poetry is an experience. If you don’t have the patience
to get through a long poem, no worries, just start with a really short poem. Understanding poetry is
like getting a suntan: you have to let it sink in.

Memorize! “Memorize” is such a scary word, isn’t it? It reminds us of multiplication tables. Maybe
we should have said: “Tuck the poem into your snuggly memory-space.” Or maybe not. At any
rate, don’t tax yourself: if you memorize one or two lines of a poem, or even just a single coolsounding phrase, it will start to work on you in ways you didn’t know possible. You’ll be walking
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through the mall one day, and all of a sudden, you’ll shout, “I get it!” Just not too loud, or you’ll get
mall security on your case.

Be Patient. You can’t really understand a poem that you’ve only read once. You just can’t. So if
you don’t get it, set the poem aside and come back to it later. And by “later” we mean days,
months, or even years. Don’t rush it. It’s a much bigger accomplishment to actually enjoy a poem
than it is to be able to explain every line of it. Treat the first reading as an investment – your effort
might not pay off until well into the future, but when it does, it will totally be worth it. Trust us.

Read in Crazy Places. Just like music, the experience of poetry changes depending on your
mood and the environment. Read in as many different places as possible: at the beach, on a
mountain, in the subway. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery for a poem to really come
alive.

Think Like a Poet. Here’s a fun exercise. Go through the poem one line at a time, covering up
the next line with your hand so you can’t see it. Put yourself in the poet’s shoes: If I had to write a
line to come after this line, what would I put? If you start to think like this, you’ll be able to
appreciate all the different choices that go into making a poem. It can also be pretty humbling –
at least we think so. Soon, you’ll be able to decipher a T.S. Elliot poem from a Wallace Stevens
poem, sight unseen. Everyone will be so jealous.

“Look Who’s Talking.” Ask the most basic questions possible of the poem. Two of the most
important are: “Who’s talking?” and “Who are they talking to?” If it’s a Shakespeare sonnet, don’t
just assume that the speaker is Shakespeare. The speaker of every poem is kind of fictional
creation, and so is the audience. Ask yourself: what would it be like to meet this person? What
would they look like? What’s their “deal,” anyway?

And, most importantly, Never Be Intimidated. Regardless of what your experience with poetry
in the classroom has been, no poet wants to make his or her audience feel stupid. It’s just not good
business, if you know what we mean. Sure, there might be tricky parts, but it’s not like you’re
trying to unlock the secrets of the universe. Heck, if you want to ignore the “meaning” entirely,
then go ahead. Why not?
Poetry is about freedom and exposing yourself to new things. In fact, if you find yourself stuck in a poem,
just remember that the poet, 9 times out of 10, was a bit of a rebel and was trying to make his friends
look at life in a completely different way. Find your inner rebel too. There isn’t a single poem out there
that’s “too difficult” to try out – right now, today. So hop to it.
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KEYSTONE LITERARY TERMS
These poetry terms have been taken directly from the Keystone Assessment System, which provides
information on what students need to know for their Keystone Literature Test. You will take this test in
10th grade and must pass it to graduate.
1.
Alliteration The repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.
2.
Allusion An implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar person, place, or event.
3.
Figurative Language Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a
special effect or feeling.
4.
Hyperbole An exaggeration or overstatement (e.g., I had to wait forever.)
5.
Imagery Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create
sensory impressions.
6.
Metaphor The comparison of two unlike things in which no words of comparison (like or as)
are used (e.g., The speech gave me food for thought.)
7.
Personification An object or abstract idea given human qualities or human form (e.g., Flowers
danced about the lawn.)
8.
Poetry In its broadest sense, text that aims to present ideas and evoke an emotional experience
in the reader through the use of meter, imagery and connotative and concrete words. Some
poetry has a carefully constructed structure based on rhythmic patterns. Poetry typically relies
on words and expressions that have several layers of meaning (figurative language). It may also
make use of the effects of regular rhythm on the ear and may make a strong appeal to the
senses through the use of imagery.
9.
Simile A comparison of two unlike things in which a word of comparison (like or as) is used
(e.g., The ant scurried as fast as a cheetah.)
10.
Sound Devices Elements of literature that emphasize sound (e.g., assonance, consonance,
alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia).
11.
Structure of Poem The rhyming pattern, meter, grammar, and imagery used by a poet to
convey meaning.
Even though these terms should be familiar to you, the following pages will give you
some practice understanding how to use and detect them.
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Alliteration and Onomatopoeia
Alliteration and onomatopoeia are poetic devices. Both are methods of using words and sounds for effect in
a poem.
Alliteration is the repetition of a beginning sound for effect. These may be vowel or
consonant sounds. The alliterative sounds have been underlined in the following
examples:
Aunt Alice loves apples and avocados.
Walkin’ in a winter wonderland.
Underline the alliteration in these sentences:
1. The warm wind wafted across the window.
2. I accidentally ate an awful apple.
3. Slipping and sliding, I stumbled in the snow and slush.
Complete the following sentences with alliterations of your own:
1. Swiftly swimming _________________________________.
2. The tired traveler __________________________________.
3. While wandering __________________________________.
Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds. For example: The steam hissed from the
open valve. Onomatopoeia is a poetic device that produces an auditory image to the
reader.
Underline the words you “hear” in these sentences:
1. The train rumbled down the track.
2. The truck’s brakes screeched in the distance.
3. The old floor creaked as we walked across the room.
Complete the following sentences using onomatopoeia of your own:
1.
Her flip-flops ___________________________________________.
2. The branches ____________________________________________.
3. The motorcycle _____________________________________________.
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Similes and Metaphors
A simile is a phrase or word that describes one thing as similar to another, often unrelated
thing. An example is "Jane went up the stairs as quiet as a mouse." Similes use the words
"like" and/ or "as".
A metaphor is a phrase or word that states that one thing is another, often unrelated thing.
An example is “Harold is a snake."
Read the following sentences. At the end of the sentence, write in brackets whether the sentence is an
example of a metaphor (M) or simile (S).
Example: The clouds were fluffy like cotton balls. (S)
1. The river rocks were as slippery as an ice rink.
2. He was a lion in battle.
3. She is as pretty as a picture.
4. The striker was a goal machine.
5. The moon was a misty shadow.
6. His eyes sparkled like shimmering snowflakes in the sun.
Now you are going to make up similes and metaphors of your own by finishing these sentences.
1. Her backpack was as heavy as_____________________________________________
2. He was a cold __________________________________________________________
3. She had skin like a ______________________________________________________
4. The air was as cool as ___________________________________________________
5. The mountain was a _____________________________________________________
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Personification and Hyperbole
Personification is when you give a human quality to an inanimate object.
Personification is a comparison that treats things as if they were capable of the actions and feelings of
people.
Personifications are things we feel but don’t literally see.
Examples of personification:
The moon slept in the night sky.
The star is winking at me.
A hyperbole is any extravagant statement or exaggeration for effect.
Hyperbole is used as a figure of speech.
Examples of hyperboles:
I could sleep for a year!
I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
Identify whether the following sentences use a hyperbole (H) or personification (P):
1. The flames called out their names.
2. After shoveling snow I was so tired I couldn’t move.
3. The clock told us it was time to go.
4. She hit the ball all the way to Pittsburgh.
5. The wind whispered to the trees.
6. It was so cold her car laughed at her when she tried to start it.
7. After the dance my feet were killing me.
8. All day long I worked my fingers to the bone.
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Allusions
An allusion is a reference to well-known characters or events from literature, history, or
another field of knowledge.
Writers use allusions to add imagery and emotion into their writing. For example, a writer could say, “He has
the Midas touch when picking stocks.” King Midas was a famous character from Greek Mythology whose
touch turned items into gold.
Read the sentences below and explain their meaning based on the allusion in each sentence. Research
the meaning of any allusions that are unfamiliar to you.
1. Because of the determination of its people, the country rose like a phoenix from the ashes of
revolution.
a. What is a phoenix? ________________________________________________________________________________
b. What does this allusion tell us about the country?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. His rise to become head of an international corporation is a real Horatio Alger story.
a. Who was Horatio Alger? __________________________________________________________________________
b. What does this allusion tell us about the man’s success?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. After working out at the gym, I felt like I could battle Hercules.
a. Who was Hercules? ________________________________________________________________________________
b. What does this allusion tell us about the speaker’s work out?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Write your own sentence using an allusion:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Finding Poetry in Song
Although we perceive poetry to be elusive, it is actually everywhere and we tend to appreciate it more than
we think. By using popular songs, familiarize yourself with poetry terms and meaning that will be expanded
to a deeper level.
ELEMENTS:
 Figurative Language
 Hyperbole
 Metaphor
 Simile
 Personification
 Imagery
 Mood
LYRIC
Sound devices:
 Assonance: use of vowel
sounds to create internal
rhyming
 Alliteration: repetition of a
consonant sound
 Onomatopoeia: use of a
word to represent the sound
(ex. buzz)
Rhyming Pattern:
 abab abab abab abab
 aabb aabb aabb aabb
 abcc abcc abcc abcc
SONG: Mumford & Sons, “Babel”
POETIC ELEMENT
'Cause I know that time has numbered my days
And I'll go along with everything you say
But I'll ride home laughing, look at me now
The walls of my town, they come crumbling down
And my ears hear the call of my unborn sons
And I know their choices color all I've done
But I'll explain it all to the watchman's son,
I ain't ever lived a year better spent in love
'Cause I'll know my weakness, know my voice
And I'll believe in grace and choice
And I know perhaps my heart is farce,
But I'll be born without a mask
Like the city that nurtured my greed and my pride,
I stretched my arms into the sky
I cry Babel! Babel! Look at me now
Then the walls of my town, they come crumbling
down
You ask where will we stand in the winds that will
howl,
As all we see will slip into the cloud
So come down from your mountain and stand
where we've been,
You know our breath is weak and our body thin
Press my nose up, to the glass around your heart
I should've known I was weaker from the start,
You'll build your walls and I will play my bloody
part
To tear, tear them down,
Well I'm gonna tear, tear them down
'Cause I know my weakness, know my voice,
And I'll believe in grace and choice
And I know perhaps my heart is farce,
But I'll be born without a mask
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DEEPER MEANING
Thumbprint | Eve Merriam
In the heel of my thumb
are whorls, whirls, wheels
in a unique design:
mine alone.
What a treasure to own!
My own flesh, my own feelings.
No other, however grand or base,
can ever contain the same.
My signature,
thumbing the pages of my time.
My universe key,
my singularity.
Impress, implant,
I am myself,
Of all my atom parts I am the sum.
And out of my blood and my brain
I make my own interior weather,
My own sun and rain.
Imprint my mark upon the world,
whatever I shall become.
1. What is the “treasure” of which the speaker is proud and what does it represent?
2. Identify two examples of alliteration in this poem.
3. Give an example of a metaphor the poet uses to describe her thumbprint?
4. What message is implied through the last four lines of this poem?
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Faces | Sara Teasdale
AFTER READING
People that I meet and pass
In the city's broken roar,
Faces that I lose so soon
And have never found before,
1. Provide an example of alliteration.
Do you know how much you tell
In the meeting of our eyes,
How ashamed I am, and sad
To have pierced your poor disguise?
2. Based on your own experiences, imply the
meaning of the poem and the speaker’s
feelings about people she meets on the
streets.
Secrets rushing without sound
Crying from your hiding places –
Let me go, I cannot bear
The sorrow of the passing faces.
3. Connect to your life: do you judge / form
opinions about those you do not know based
on how you view them? How do you feel
people view you from a distance?
People in the restless street,
Can it be, oh can it be
In the meeting of our eyes
That you know as much of me?
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Dreams | Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die,
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams,
For when dreams go,
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
AFTER READING
1. What is first metaphor in the poem? What does it
mean?
2. What is the second metaphor and what does it mean?
3. What is Hughes’s message from this poem?
4. Can you connect to this poem with dreams from your
childhood vs. dreams you have now?
5. What dreams do you Look-fors:
have for your future?
 Metaphors
 Implied message
 Connections
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Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
AFTER READING
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
1. What is the main metaphor in the poem?
Explain with specific lines for support.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
2. Provide two examples of imagery. Which
piece of imagery is most notable to you?
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
3. What is the rhyme scheme to the poem?
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
4. The speaker of the poem believes life is
short, but art is enduring. Which lines prove
this? Do you agree?
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
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The Lanyard | Billy Collins
The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.
No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one into the past more suddenly—
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid long thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.
I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.
She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light
and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.
Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth
that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hand,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.
AFTER READING
1. Provide an example of a simile.
2. What is the mood of the poem?
3. What is the story of the poem?
4. Using your inference skills, what type of
relationship do you believe the mother and
son have? Explain with specific lines for
support.
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The Courage That My Mother Had | Edna St. Vincent Millay
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
AFTER READING
1. Define courage in your own words. Provide
an example of courage from your own life
and/or an example of courage that you
witnessed.
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could spare.
Oh, if instead she'd left to me
The thing she took into the grave!That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
2. Reflecting on your own life, what
personality trait do you feel people admire
about you?
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Still I Rise | Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
AFTER READING
1. Provide an example of simile.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
2. Whom do you think the speaker is speaking
to?
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
3. What is the message from the speaker?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
4. Provide specific lines dealing with imagery.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
5. Apply this poem to you own life with an
instance when you chose to rise instead of
remaining in anger, failure, etc. Or, reflect
on how you could have handled a difficult
situation better.
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou
The free bird leaps
for the caged bird
on the back of the wind
sings of freedom
and floats downstream
till the current ends
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and dips his wings
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
in the orange sun rays
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and dares to claim the sky.
and he names the sky his own.
But a bird that stalks
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
down his narrow cage
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
can seldom see through
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
his bars of rage
so he opens his throat to sing
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
The caged bird sings
so he opens his throat to sing.
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
The caged bird sings
but longed for still
with fearful trill
and his tune is heard
of the things unknown
on the distant hill
but longed for still
for the caged bird
and his tune is heard
sings of freedom.
on the distant hill
AFTER READING
1. Based on the information given to you about Maya Angelou, provide the metaphors in the poem.
2. What is the speaker’s message in this poem? Apply this to your own life.
3. Why is the final stanza a repeat? What is the purpose?
4. What is the rhyme scheme to the poem?
5. Do you agree with the speaker’s opinion with why the caged bird sings?
6. Compare/contrast Angelou’s poemS with St. Vincent Millay’s. What is the theme? How are they similar
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and different?
Out, Out | Robert Frost
The buzz-saw snarled and rattled in the yard
And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood,
Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.
And from there those that lifted eyes could count
Five mountain ranges one behind the other
Under the sunset far into Vermont.
And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled,
As it ran light, or had to bear a load.
And nothing happened: day was all but done.
Call it a day, I wish they might have said
To please the boy by giving him the half hour
That a boy counts so much when saved from work.
His sister stood beside them in her apron
To tell them "Supper." At the word, the saw,
As if to prove saws knew what supper meant,
Leaped out at the boy's hand, or seemed to leap—
He must have given the hand. However it was,
Neither refused the meeting. But the hand!
The boy's first outcry was a rueful laugh,
As he swung toward them holding up the hand
Half in appeal, but half as if to keep
The life from spilling. Then the boy saw all—
Since he was old enough to know, big boy
Doing a man's work, though a child at heart—
He saw all spoiled. "Don't let him cut my hand off—
The doctor, when he comes. Don't let him, sister!"
So. But the hand was gone already.
The doctor put him in the dark of ether.
He lay and puffed his lips out with his breath.
And then—the watcher at his pulse took fright.
No one believed. They listened at his heart.
Little—less—nothing!—and that ended it.
No more to build on there. And they, since they
Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.
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AFTER READING
1. Provide an example of onomatopoeia.
2. What is the story behind the poem?
3. Describe your reaction to the poem.
4. Do you feel people move on perhaps too
quickly after one has died?
5. Explain the reference to Macbeth.
This Is Just To Say | William Carlos Williams
AFTER READING
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
1. Describe the form and length of the
poem.
2. Who is the speaker in the poem? Make
sure to explain your response.
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
3. Describe the speaker’s tone in the poem.
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.
4. Identify concrete images (objects that
can be touched, smelled, seen, felt or
tasted).
5. Identify abstract images (something that
cannot be associated with a real object,
i.e. love, jealousy, nostalgia).
Listen to NPR “This American Life” episode titled “Mistakes Were Made – Act
Two: You’re Willing To Sacrifice Our Love” http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radioarchives/episode/354/mistakes-were-made
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Fifteen | William Stafford
AFTER READING
South of the Bridge on Seventeenth
I found back of the willows one summer
day a motorcycle with engine running
as it lay on its side, ticking over
slowly in the high grass. I was fifteen.
1. What is the story of the poem?
I admired all that pulsing gleam, the
shiny flanks, the demure headlights
fringed where it lay; I led it gently
to the road and stood with that
companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen.
We could find the end of a road, meet
the sky on out Seventeenth. I thought about
hills, and patting the handle got back a
confident opinion. On the bridge we indulged
a forward feeling, a tremble. I was fifteen.
Thinking, back farther in the grass I found
the owner, just coming to, where he had flipped
over the rail. He had blood on his hand, was pale—
I helped him walk to his machine. He ran his hand
over it, called me a good man, roared away.
2. Describe two strong visual and
auditory images.
3. How is the motorcycle
personified?
4. How does the answer to #3 help
you understand how the speaker
feels about the bike?
I stood there, fifteen.
5. What is the effect of repetition?
6. How can this poem be an extended
metaphor?
7. What is the theme? Please use
textual evidence to support your
idea.
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Multiple Choice Questions “Fifteen”
1. Which line uses personification?
a. “He had blood on his hand”
b. “I helped him walk to his machine”
c. “called me a good man”
d. “a motorcycle with engine running”
6. The line “He ran his hand over it…” is an
example of:
a. Alliteration
b. Personification
c. Allusion
d. Hyperbole
2. An example of a metaphor used in this poem
is:
a. “as it lay on its side”
b. “South of the Bridge on Seventeenth”
c. “where he had flipped over the rail”
d. “I helped him walk to his machine”
7. Who is the speaker of this poem?
a. The motorcyclist
b. A fifteen year-old boy
c. A passerby
d. A police officer
8. Who is the author referring to as “We” in the
line, “We could find the end of a road, meet the
sky out on Seventeenth.”
a. The boy and the motorcyclist
b. The boy and the motorcycle
c. The boy and his girlfriend
d. The boy and his dream
3. An example of imagery from the poem is:
a. “all that pulsing gleam, the shiny flanks”
b. “South of the Bridge on Seventeenth”
c. “called me a good man”
d. “I led it gently to the road”
4. The line “I was fifteen” is repeated throughout
the poem.
From this line, we can infer that this poem is an
incident:
a. that recently occurred
b. that is a flashback or memory
c. from a movie or television show
d. that is a dream
9. The word “roared” in the line, “He ran his
hand over it, called me a good man, roared
away” contains an example of:
a. Alliteration
b. Allusion
c. Onomatopoeia
d. Metaphor
5. The ironic part of this poem is:
a. The boy helped the man, even though he
wanted the bike
b. The motorcycle was damaged in the accident
c. The accident happened south of the bridge
d. The man was bleeding and pale
10. True or False: This poem would be
considered a sonnet.
a. True
b. False
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“The Revenant” | Billy Collins
I am the dog you put to sleep,
as you like to call the needle of oblivion,
come back to tell you this simple thing:
I never liked you--not one bit.
You do not want to believe this,
but I have no reason to lie.
I hated the car, the rubber toys,
disliked your friends and, worse, your relatives.
When I licked your face,
I thought of biting off your nose.
When I watched you toweling yourself dry,
I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.
The jingling of my tags drove me mad.
You always scratched me in the wrong place.
All I ever wanted from you
was food and fresh water in my metal bowls.
I resented the way you moved,
your lack of animal grace,
the way you would sit in a chair to eat,
a napkin on your lap, knife in your hand.
While you slept, I watched you breathe
as the moon rose in the sky.
It took all of my strength
not to raise my head and howl.
I would have run away,
but I was too weak, a trick you taught me
while I was learning to sit and heel,
and--greatest of insults--shake hands without a
hand.
Now I am free of the collar,
the yellow raincoat, monogrammed sweater,
the absurdity of your lawn,
and that is all you need to know about this
place
I admit the sight of the leash
would excite me
but only because it meant I was about
to smell things you had never touched.
except what you already supposed
and are glad it did not happen sooner-that everyone here can read and write,
the dogs in poetry, the cats and the others in
prose.
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Take a closer look at “The Revenant” and identifying the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Point of view=>
Tone=>
Imagery=>
Alliteration=>
Figurative Language=>
Whether you’re an animal lover or not, how do you feel about this poem?
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Poetry portfolio and reading
As we read and analyze poetry, you will write select poems with poetic technique and organize them in a
poetry portfolio. We will engage in a poetry reading in which you will choose two of your poems to read to
the class.
In your poems, underline the techniques you must display (such as alliteration).
POEMS TO CREATE
6 Word Memoir
(see page 24)
Judgment poem
(after reading “Faces”).
Dream poem
(after reading “Dreams” by
Langston Hughes)
Song sonnet
(see pages 25-27)
Sonnet
(after reading “Sonnet 18” by
Shakespeare)
Tribute poem
(after reading “The Lanyard” by
Billy Collins, “The Courage That My
Mother Had” by Edna St. Vincent
Millay, “Still I Rise” by Maya
Angelou and “I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings” by Maya
Angelou)
Memory poem
(after reading “Out, Out” by Robert
Frost)
“This Is Just to Say” parody
poem
(after reading “This is Just to Say”)
DESCRIPTION
After watching Caine’s Arcade, create a description of yourself in 6
words. Be specific and creative (you only have 6 words!).
Create a poem in which you judge an action by human beings that is
usually accepted or expected, but perhaps should not be.
 Include at least:
 one piece of imagery
 minimum 10 lines
Create a poem about a dream you have for your future or a dream you
had from your past.
 Include at least:
 one simile
 one line of alliteration
 an example of personification
 minimum 10 lines
Create a 14 line sonnet using reconfigured song lyrics. Sonnet should
reflect Shakespearean rhyme scheme. (directions on p. 25)
Create a 14 line sonnet that reflects Shakespeare rhyme scheme. Each
line must have 10 syllables.
Create a tribute poem dedicated to someone special in your life. Focus
on a strong and unmatched personality trait from that person. Consider
using a memory in your poem.
 Include at least:
 one metaphor
 one piece of imagery
 specific rhyme scheme
 minimum 10 lines
Create a poem in which you give remembrance to either one who has
passed or an item that has “passed.” Consider using a memory in your
poem
 Include at least:
 one line of alliteration
 one piece of imagery
 Specific rhyme scheme
 Minimum 10 lines
Imitate the style in William Carlos Williams’ poem.
 Include at least:
 one abstract image; one concrete image
 minimum 10 lines
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6 Word Memoirs
As a class, watch Caine's Arcade - YouTube
In the box below, write a six-word sentence describing Caine:
Express your life in 6 words:
Express your relationship with your family in 6 words:
Express your fondest memory in 6 words:
Tell us something you feel strongly about in 6 words:
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HOW TO WRITE A… Shakespearian Sonnet
1) Your sonnet should be 14 lines.
2) Follow the rhyme pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
3) Each line should be 10 syllables.
4) Hint: Try www.rhymer.com to help with rhyming
Review the example below to understand the structure of a Shakespearian Sonnet:
The worst day of the week is on Monday
I never want to get out of my bed
The weather is cold and the sky is gray
The alarm clock buzzes next to my head
I get ready for school and find my coat
I make my lunch and fill my coffee mug
I’d watch the news but where is the remote?
I find it underneath the hallway rug
It’s time to go and drive my car to school
I walk downstairs and get into my car
I’m out of gas I need to go refuel
If I stop I’ll be late my drive is far
Monday morning has such a busy start
But getting out of beds the hardest part
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A
B
A
B
C
D
C
D
E
F
E
F
G
G
HOW TO WRITE A… Song Sonnet
PLANNING
1. Take out a piece of lined notebook paper and write the sonnet rhyme scheme
(abab,cdcd,efef,gg) on the right side of the page- skipping every other line.
2. Choose the song that will work best out of the choices you have. REMEMBER- you
want to choose a song that has AT LEAST 3 different stanzas and one refrain/ hook.
 Using a BRIGHT colored marker or pen, divide the song’s stanzas/ lyrics into
segments. Each 4 line quatrain for your sonnet will come from ONE of the
stanzas.
 The refrain/ hook will be the material for your couplet.
WRITING
1. Start with the first set of lyrics you marked. Using the lyrics from the original writer,
you will break down his/ her words into 4 lines, ten syllables each, with the last
word of each line following the rhyme pattern- abab.
 You may NOT make up whole lines not present in the original song.
 You MAY switch the order of lines around, use synonyms of words and
“adjust” syllables (as Shakespeare often did). You may remove words or
change their order also.
2. Follow this pattern for the next 3 stanzas to create quatrains 2 and 3. REMEMBERthey should follow rhyme patters of cdcd and efef. This means, for example, that
the last word from line 2 of your new sonnet can only rhyme with the last
word from line 4- as no other “B’s” exist in the rhyme pattern.
3. For your couplet (rhyme pattern gg) you will use the refrain/ hook (repeated part in
a song). This you will break down into 2 lines, ten syllables each that have a final
word in each sentence that rhyme with each other- but nothing else (as above).
ANALYSIS
1. To complete your song sonnet- you must note 3 things at the bottom of the paper:
 DEFINE 3 terms: SPEAKER, SUBJECT and AUTHOR
 IDENTIFY the SPEAKER, SUBJECT AND AUTHOR of YOUR SONNET
 IDENTIFY the original song writer/ artist and original song title
‘
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Example of changing an original song to a Shakespearean
Sonnet:
"Pompeii" by Bastille
“Pompeii” transformed into a Sonnet
Eh-eh-o eh-o [6x]
A Grey clouds roll in the city that we love
B Days fell away with nothing more to show
A Showering a cold darkness from above
B And the walls kept tumbling down so low
I was left to my own devices
Many days fell away with nothing to show
And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Grey clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above
But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
C We were caught up and lost in all the dust
D And it felt like nothing had changed at all
C Father of time encapsulated us
D We’ve been here before like a crystal ball
E
F
E
F
Oh where do we start to even begin?
Think back to a time when you close your eyes
Can we forgive the rubble of our sins?
How can we heal in this state of good-bye.
G How can we be optimists about this?
G Can we ever sift through the dust and mist?
We were caught up and lost in all of our vices
In your pose as the dust settled around us
And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Grey clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above
But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Eh-eh-o eh-o [4x]
Oh where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?
Oh oh where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?
30
"Demons"
A
When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
B
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood’s run stale
Choru
s
==>
A
I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There’s nowhere we can hide
B
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
C
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It’s where my demons hide
It’s where my demons hide
Don’t get too close
It’s dark inside
It’s where my demons hide
It’s where my demons hide
D
C
At the curtain’s call
It's the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl
D
So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you've made
E
Don't wanna let you down
But I am hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't wanna hide the truth
F
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
E
(Chorus)
F
They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go
G
Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how
G
(Chorus)
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Poetry Portfolio Rubric
Name:
Poems
Focus/Organization/
Content
3 points
Conventions/Grammar/ Line
Requirements
2 points
---------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Total
5 points
Shakespearian Sonnet
Song Sonnet
6 word memoir
Judgment Poem
Memory Poem
Tribute Poem
Dream Poem
Parody Poem
Overall Creativity
Presentation
Total
_____ / 50
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