Before Reading
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
Poem by Maya Angelou
On Turning Ten
Poem by Billy Collins
How do we know we’re
GROWN UP?
RL 5 Analyze how a particular
stanza fits into the structure of a
text. RL 6 Explain how an author
develops the point of view of the
speaker in the text.
When we hear someone described as “grown up,” we know it
refers to more than just the person’s age. Along with age come
new responsibilities, greater independence, and, sometimes,
greater challenges. The poems you’re about to read explore the
excitement—and challenges—that growing up can present.
QUICKWRITE What are some ways you think you’ve grown up over the
last few years? Consider any responsibilities you’ve taken on, such as
caring for a pet or doing certain chores. Write these down in your
journal. Then describe how you feel in general about growing up.
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Meet the Authors
text analysis: speaker
Just as a short story has a narrator, a poem has a speaker,
or voice that “talks” to the reader. The speaker may be the
poet or a fictional character. (Be aware that even when a
poem uses the pronouns I or me, it does not always mean
that the poet is the speaker.) Identifying the speaker, and
understanding his or her situation, is an essential part of
discovering the meaning of a poem.
As you read each poem that follows, look for clues in the
title and in individual lines that help you determine who the
speaker is and what his or her situation is like.
reading strategy: reading poetry
A poem can tell a tale or provide a message, just as a short
story can. To gain a better understanding of the meaning of
a poem, use these strategies:
• Reread the poem. Each time you read a poem, you may
discover new images or ideas. Look for clues to a poem’s
meaning in the sentence structure as well as in the words.
• Read the poem aloud. Reading a poem aloud will help you
hear its song-like qualities and understand the importance
of line breaks.
• Take notes. Record any words, phrases, or lines you find
particularly interesting. Jot down comments or questions
about the speaker or the poem’s meaning.
Read “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” and “On Turning Ten” three
times. Use a chart like this one to record images or ideas
that help you understand the speaker and the poem’s
meaning.
“Life Doesn’t
Frighten Me”
1st Reading
“On Turning Ten”
The speaker seems
pretty brave.
2nd Reading
Maya Angelou
born 1928
Universal Voice
Though best known for her writing,
Maya Angelou (BnPjE-lLQ) has also
worked as a dancer, a singer, an actress,
a cook, and even a streetcar conductor.
Although her writing is shaped by her
experiences as an African American,
the topics and issues Angelou deals
with remain universal. Her ability to
identify with a wide range
of people has led to
Angelou’s popularity.
She notes, “In all my
work, what I try to say
is that as human beings
we are more alike than
we are unalike.”
Billy Collins
born 1941
Champion of Poetry
Known for his sense of humor and
entertaining poetry readings, Billy
Collins is loved by critics and readers
alike. He has won numerous awards
for his poetry and has served as
United States Poet Laureate
(2001–2003). Collins
thinks that poetry
should be everywhere,
not just in the classroom:
“I believe poetry belongs
in unexpected places—in
elevators and on buses and
subways,” he once said.
3rd Reading
Authors Online
Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML6-289
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Life Doesn’t
Frighten Me
M aya A n g e l o u
5
10
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Bad dogs barking loud
Big ghosts in a cloud
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
Mean old Mother Goose
Lions on the loose
They don’t frighten me at all a
Dragons breathing flame
On my counterpane1
That doesn’t frighten me at all,
Does the girl in this
photograph look
frightened? Explain.
a
SPEAKER
Reread lines 1–9. What
details give clues about
the speaker’s age?
1. counterpane: a bedspread.
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unit 2: analyzing character and point of view
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15
20
I go boo
Make them shoo
I make fun
Way they run
I won’t cry
So they fly
I just smile
They go wild b
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
b
Read lines 13–20 aloud.
Notice how the poem’s
structure changes in this
stanza, with the lines
becoming shorter. What
effect does this change
have on your reading?
Tough guys in a fight
All alone at night
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
25
30
35
40
Panthers in the park
Strangers in the dark
No, they don’t frighten me at all.
That new classroom where
Boys all pull my hair
(Kissy little girls
With their hair in curls)
They don’t frighten me at all.
Don’t show me frogs and snakes
And listen for my scream,
If I’m afraid at all
It’s only in my dreams.
I’ve got a magic charm
That I keep up my sleeve,
I can walk the ocean floor
And never have to breathe.
c
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Not at all
Not at all.
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
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READING POETRY
c
SPEAKER
Reread lines 37–40.
What do the lines in this
stanza tell you about the
speaker’s personality?
unit 2: analyzing character and point of view
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n
i
n
g
r
u
T
n
O
5
Ten
Billy Collins
The whole idea of it makes me feel
like I’m coming down with something,
something worse than any stomach ache
or the headaches I get from reading in bad light—
a kind of measles of the spirit,
a mumps of the psyche,1
a disfiguring chicken pox2 of the soul. d
d
SPEAKER
Reread the title and
lines 1–7. What emotions
is the speaker feeling,
and why?
1. psyche (sFPkC): the spirit or soul.
2. disfiguring chicken pox: Like measles and mumps, chicken pox was once
a common childhood disease. It caused pockmarks to appear on the skin,
sometimes leaving scars behind.
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10
15
20
25
30
294
You tell me it is too early to be looking back,
but that is because you have forgotten
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful complexity introduced by two. e
But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit.
At four I was an Arabian wizard.
I could make myself invisible
by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.
At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.
But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it. f
e
To whom do you think
the speaker is talking
in lines 8–11?
f
READING POETRY
Reread lines 17–23.
What feelings do
these lines convey?
This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself,
as I walk through the universe in my sneakers.
It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends,
time to turn the first big number.
It seems only yesterday I used to believe
there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I would shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees. I bleed. g
SPEAKER
g
SPEAKER
Reread lines 31–32.
What does the speaker
learn about himself?
unit 2: analyzing character and point of view
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After Reading
Comprehension
1. Recall In “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me,” what are three things the speaker
isn’t afraid of?
2. Recall In the first stanza, or group of lines, in “On Turning Ten,” what
is turning ten being compared to?
RL 5 Analyze how a particular
stanza fits into the structure of a
text. RL 6 Explain how an author
develops the point of view of the
speaker in the text.
3. Summarize How does the speaker of “On Turning Ten” feel about turning
one year older?
Text Analysis
4. Interpret Lines The speaker in “On Turning Ten” says, “At four I was an
Arabian wizard” and “At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.” What
is the speaker referring to in these lines?
5. Reading Poetry Look at the structure of the first stanza (lines 1–7) in
“On Turning Ten.” Explain how the sentence structure and line lengths
help convey the meaning of these lines.
6. Reading Poetry Review the chart of your readings of the poems. Explain
how your understanding of the poems and their speakers changed with
each reading. Which words, or phrases had the greatest effect on you?
7. Compare and Contrast Speakers
Think about the situation each
speaker faces and the attitude each
one expresses. In what ways are
the speakers alike and different?
Use a chart like the one shown
to record your thoughts.
8. Make Judgments Do you think
the speaker of “Life Doesn’t
Frighten Me” is truly not afraid?
Use examples from the poem
to support your answer.
“Life Doesn’t
Frighten Me”
Who is the speaker?
“On Turning Ten”
I think the
speaker is a girl.
What situation does he
or she face?
How does he or she feel
about the situation?
Extension and Challenge
9. Speaking and Listening Think about the poems’ speakers. How do you
think their voices would sound? Perform a reading of one of the poems
for your class. Use a tone of voice that allows the speaker’s attitude to
come across in your reading.
How do we know we’re GROWN UP?
How would the speaker of each poem answer this question?
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