Part 4: Guided Practice
Part 4: Guided Practice
Lesson 13
Read the poem. Use the Study Buddy and Close Reading to guide your reading.
A Thunder–Storm
by Emily Dickinson
The wind begun to rock the grass
With threatening tunes and low,—
He flung a menace at the earth,
A menace at the sky.
I wonder how the
speaker feels about
this storm. As I read,
I’m going to underline
words with strong
connotations.
The wagons quickened on the streets,
10
10 The thunder hurried slow;
The lightning showed a yellow beak,
And then a livid1 claw.
What are the birds
doing in line 13? Are
they actually putting up
bars? Think about what
the author means.
The birds put up the bars to nests,
The cattle fled to barns;
15
15 There came one drop of giant rain,
And then, as if the hands
Remember that a simile
is a comparison using
like or as. Circle a simile
used in the poem.
What sorts of
connotative words does
the poet use to describe
the storm?
What image does the
description of the birds
create in your mind?
livid: dark blue
2
quartering: reaching
A
It is dangerous to animals.
B
It is thrilling to watch.
C
It is needed by grass and trees.
2 The speaker uses personification to describe the birds’ activity in
line 13. Which statement best explains what they are doing?
A
They are hiding from the rain in their nests.
B
They are building their nests despite the rain.
C
They are closing the windows of their nests.
D They are keeping other birds out of their nests.
What does it mean for
dust to “throw away the
road”? Is the road really
being thrown? What is
happening in this
stanza?
3 What two forms of figurative language are used in lines 7 and 8, and
what do these lines mean? Use specific examples in your response.
That held the dams had parted hold,
The waters wrecked the sky,
But overlooked my father’s house,
20 Just quartering2 a tree.
1
1 How does the speaker feel about the storm?
D It is just an ordinary rainfall.
5
5 The leaves unhooked themselves from trees
And started all abroad;
The dust did scoop itself like hands
And throw away the road.
Close Reading
Look at your marked–up text. Then use the Hints on this page to help
you answer the questions.
Hints
Genre: Poetry
Lesson 13
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L13: Determining Word Meanings: Figurative and Connotative
L13: Determining Word Meanings: Figurative and Connotative
©Curriculum Associates, LLC
Copying is not permitted.
©Curriculum Associates, LLC
Copying is not permitted.
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