Name: ______________________
Per. ________
Date: ____________
Ms.Gonzalez’s Homework Packet
Week 12: Symbolism
Vocabulary Words
Demonstrate
Draw
Evaluate
Explain
Identify
Infer
Integrate
*Symbolism*
Exercise A: Create Word Maps for all of your vocabulary & Spelling Words
Word Map pages should be stapled to this packet. There should be 8 maps total.
Exercise B: Symbolism in Poetry
DIRECTIONS: Read the poem by Langston Hughes. Then complete the assignment that follows.
Mother to Son by Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
5
10
15
Identify the major symbol in this poem, and explain what you believe it symbolizes. Cite lines in the poem
that caused you to choose this particular symbolism.
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Exercise B: Symbolism Practice
1. Both parties stared at one another with tense apprehension. As if on
cue, each of their leaders stepped forward to face one another. The
leader from the Denali Clan slowly began to draw something from
behind his back. Every member from the Zel Pack held their breath
and placed their hands on the weapons ready to strike at the first
sign of hostility. The Denali leader finally removed his hand fully
from his back to reveal what he had in his hand, which was a perfect
and docile dove. Both sides breathed a sigh of relief and quietly
retreated.
What does the dove symbolize?
2. The boy looked at the girl with passion in his eyes as he dropped
down onto one knee. He reached for her hand as he said, “I want to
spend everyday of the rest of forever with you.” The girl looked
down at her hand to see a sparkling diamond ring glinting in the
moonlight.
What does the diamond ring
symbolize?
3. The sun was shining brightly as the young child skipped through the
meadow of daisies. The child’s white sundress blended in almost
perfectly with the flowers around her. She continued on skipping
only coming to a stop when she heard a strange noise in close
proximity. Heart pounding the girl pushed aside a bouquet of
flowers and then let out a peal of laughter when she discovered that
the thing that caused her momentary concern was a snow white
lamb.
4. The rain appeared to be coming down in sheets the evening of
Molly’s cousin’s funeral. Molly sat on the edge of her bed watching
the dark clouds roll through the sky, watching the light dim from the
sky, and listening to the clock slowly tick away the seconds. She
finally gathered enough strength to reach into her closet to pull out a
black dress. Before walking out of her room, Molly bent down and
blew out the candle that was resting on her nightstand leaving
behind a puff of smoke.
5. Amanda flung herself onto her bed as tears dripped down her face.
She always thought that she and Ben would be together forever.
That was until Ben dropped the bombshell of information on her
earlier that day about having feelings for someone else. Amanda
turned over onto her side and through her watery eyes she saw the
roses that Ben had sent her for her birthday the week before. When
she first received them they had been a brilliant red but now they
What objects were used to
symbolize innocence?
What objects were used to
symbolize death/sadness?
What did the flowers
symbolize when Amanda first
received them and what did
they symbolize at the end?
were dulling in color and withered. As she watched a single petal
untangled itself from the bouquet and fell to the floor.
6. Tibby ran away from her assailant, her heart pumping faster than
What objects were used to
any heart should be able to. She skidded to a halt when she came to
symbolize danger/evil?
a fork in the road barely hesitating before choosing the pathway to
her right, not noticing the dead end sign hidden behind overgrown
shrubbery. When she came to the end of the dark alley with nowhere
else to run Tibby let out a scream of frustration. Within a minute the
perpetrator caught up to her. She could see his blood red eyes
burning into her and his sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. The
last thing Tibby heard was the sound of a crow circling above.
7. Lena struggled with the wrapping paper on the small box as her best What does the bracelet
friend Sam looked on. Sam’s impatience got the best of her and she symbolize?
grabbed the box out of Lena’s hands and opened the box for her.
Nestled inside of the box on a bed of tissue paper was a intricately
braided bracelet. Lena looked up and said, “Oh, Sam, it is so pretty!
Thank you so much!” Sam blushed with happiness and said, “I made
it myself and, look, I am wearing one just like it so when we are
apart at college next year we can remember each other.”
8. Everyone in the class stood up at the same time and faced the flag
before saying the “Pledge of Allegiance.”
Dawn was just breaking and the sun was just stretching across the
horizon the morning that I was born. Mom said that I was the most
beautiful baby that she had ever seen, but I think that she might be
just a little bit biased. The day that they brought me home my
parents planted a tree in the front yard that was no bigger than a
kitten. Thirteen years later that tree has grown bigger than thirteen
kittens!
What does the flag symbolize?
What objects were used to
symbolize life?
Exercise A: Identify symbols in your life
Draw 5 symbols that you see/use in every day life. You must draw the symbol and explain its symbolism.
Drawing of Symbol
Explanation of Symbolism
Don’t forget to complete your WORD
MAPS!
You need to pick up a copy and staple
it to your homework packet!