Organizing:
Empathizing:
Read the poem Incident.
Using the organizer on the
next page, describe what
happened before, during and
after the incident.
Describe a personal incident
that changed the way you
think or feel. In a short piece
(1 typed page) describe what
happened before, during and
after the incident.
INCIDENT
Once riding in old Baltimore
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.
Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, “Nigger.”
Interpreting:
I saw the whole of Baltimore
Read each of the
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
following statements
That’s all that I remember.
then decide if you agree
~ Countee Cullen
or disagree with each
one and cite particular
lines from the poem to
support or refute each
statement.
1. The boy saw all of Baltimore
2. The language of the poem is too
simple.
3. The incident was completely
destructive.
4. Confronting prejudice made the
boy stronger.
Metaphorical
expression:
List five things you know
about prejudice, based on
this poem..
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.