“the lesson of the moth”
by ___________________________________
Name_________________________________________ Date _____________________ Period _____
Background info: The narrator is a poet reincarnated in a cockroach's body.
He types by jumping on the keys of a typewriter, hence the lack of caps.
1. Is this a rhyming or a free verse poem? ____________________________________________
How can you tell? ______________________________________________________________
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2. Identify the two “characters” in the poem. Briefly explain each one’s philosophy of life.
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3. Give an example of personification from this poem. __________________________________
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4. Select the one word that best conveys the tone (the author’s attitude) of the poem.
excited - angry - sarcastic - whimsical - curious - pompous
Explain why you selected this adjective; give evidence from the poem that best supports the tone.
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5. Determine the theme; use evidence from the poem to support it. _______________________
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6. Explain why the poet decided to use a cockroach as the narrator. _______________________
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