Grade 9 English
Literary Survival Guide
&
Poetry Analysis Booklet
Terms and questions
you will need for your
assessment periods
Lather, Rinse & Repeat
Terms that you will use daily in English!
Simile – a comparison made between two things using the words “like” or “as”.
Hyperbole – an overexaggeration to show the intensity of a feeling.
Alliteration – repetition of the same consonant or syllable sound at the beginning
of words close together.
Metaphor – a comparison, not using “like” or “as”, between two unlike things.
Personification – the idea that allows a thing, idea, or object to be given qualities
of a human being.
Oxymoron – a paradox which uses two contradictory or opposite words to
describe something.
Onomatopoeia – words that are used to suggest or imitate the sound of the
action, object, or noise they stand for.
Personal Connections to SHAMPOO
Instructions: Create two examples for each literary term in SHAMPOO.
Simile
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Hyperbole
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Alliteration
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Metaphor
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Personification
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Oxymoron
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Onomatopoeia
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Selecting the right SHAMPOO
Instructions:
Below are 70 sentences, or sentence fragments, that can be used as
examples of the terms found in SHAMPOO. Read through each sentence and label them
with the appropriate term from SHAMPOO. Some sentences may contain more than 1
term, but there will be a major use of only 1 term in each.
1. “I must be cruel to be kind.”
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2. Puny pumas pit their skills against zebras.
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3. “My soul is an enchanted boat.”
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4. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day.
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5. The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at all the cans on the store shelves.
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6. I nearly died laughing.
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7. The wind sand her mournful song through the falling leaves.
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8. As the teacher entered the room she muttered under her breath, “This
class is like a three-ring circus!”
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9. Snap, crackle, pop went the Rice Krispies.
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10. “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain,”
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11. A deafening silence fell over the crowd as they witnessed the tragedy.
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12. Pretty Polly picked pears for preserves.
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13. “Life is a journey. Enjoy the ride.”
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14. It is a definite possibility that school will be closed tomorrow.
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15. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack.
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16. The fluorescent light was the sun during our test.
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17. I feel like a limp dishrag.
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18. “You’ll never put a better bit of butter on your knife.”
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19. They were looking forward to getting out alone together.
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20. The moon asked the stars to dance.
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21. I tried a thousand times but still couldn’t do a somersault.
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22. Your bedroom is a fine mess.
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23. Handsome Harry hired hundreds of hippos for Hanukkah.
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24. The strawberries seemed to sing, “Eat me first!”
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25. He had tonnes of money.
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26. “But when the trees bow down their heads…”
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27. No one invites Harold to parties because he’s a wet blanket.
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28. Those girls are like two peas in a pod.
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29. The road was a ribbon of moonlight.
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30. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog’s bath.
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31. The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell.
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32. We will just consider today a working holiday.
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33. She was as bright as a button.
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34. Find fifteen friendly friars.
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35. The run smiled down on the emerald-green fields.
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36. She worked her fingers to the bone.
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37. The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the walkers.
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38. We will be using plastic glasses at the picnic.
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39. I had tried to open my locker a hundred times before someone came to help.
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40. “Life is a zoo in a jungle!”
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41. I could sleep for a year.
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42. Squeak goes the rat.
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43. The buzzing of innumerable bees.
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44. This box weighs a ton!
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45. Shelly Sherman shivered in a sheer, short, shirt.
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46. Ding, dong the church bells are ringing.
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47. They were swamped with orders.
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48. The water beckoned invitingly to the how swimmers.
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49. I’ve told you a million times not to exaggerate!
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50. It was as flat as a pancake.
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51. Snip, snip went the scissors through the paper.
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52. Many merry moms made milkshakes and Mississippi Mudpies for dessert.
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53. All I could hear was the thump, thump, thump of my heart beating.
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54. “Splish! Splash! I was taking a bath.”
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55. Listen to the buzz of the bee as it goes by.
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56. The dog was found missing under the porch with her four puppies.
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57. “I’ve got a ton of homework to do.”
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58. He was a strong as an ox
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59. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground during the early morning hours.
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60. Her new hairstyle is pretty ugly.
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61. The china danced on the shelves during the earthquake.
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62. It shot out like a bullet!
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63. “The daily diary of the American dream.”
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64. The car engine coughed and sputtered when it started during the blizzard.
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65. You are the sunshine of my life.
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66. “The stars were like diamonds”
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67. Listen to the fire crackle in the dark.
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68. The sun is a big yellow duster polishing the blue, blue sky.
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69. “Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark innyard”
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70. He appeared to be clearly confused after reading the instructions.
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What other Literary Terms/Devices do you know other than the ones in SHAMPOO?
List as many terms as you can - number 1 is given as an example.
1) Parallel Structure
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3) ______________________________
4) ______________________________
5) ______________________________
DSSC MODEL
Define. Statement. Support. Conclude.
During your assessment, both mid-year and final, you will be asked to write constructed
responses to select questions. In order to ensure you answer your constructed response
questions in a well-supported and organized manner you should follow the DSSC model
found below. (This is also the model I will be using to grade answers on assignments, tests,
and exams which you will have provided a constructed response.)
Define
Statement
Support
Conclude
• Provide a complete definition of any key literary terms/devices you are
considering in the question asked.
• If the question asks about parallel structure - define "parallel structure" in this
section.
• Provide a statement about the purpose of using this literary term/device in the
piece of work you are writing about. In other words, what is the "job" of the
literary term/device. You must consider what this literary term/device adds to the
piece you are writing about.
• If the parallel structure helps to develop the theme or plot you should write that
in this section.
• Provide examples from the piece you are writing about to support the statement you made in the
last section. These examples must be specific and directly support the explanations you have
given in your answer so far.
• If the parallel structure is a positive verb like "can" that is repeated throughout a poem about
potential, you should select lines from the piece which help to prove that potential is a positive
outlook, in this section, and that it is through the repetion of "can" that the message is developed.
• Provide a final, concluding statement that closes your answer. This may include
making a personal connection to the explanation you have provided through
your response. As well, you may summarize the main throughts you have
expressed in your answer.
• Finish your answer by wrapping it up and putting a bow on it in your final section.
Teen Years
Kyle Robicheaux
Everyone tells you,
they’re the best years of your life.
The thing they don’t tell you,
is they are all full of strife
From a child to a teen,
in less then a year.
It’s a lot to deal with,
you have to grow up fast.
As a child you’re free,
as a teen you feel locked up.
A child has no worries,
a teen has a lot.
You learn the meaning of love,
you discover broken hearts.
The worries of being accepted,
are the hardest part of all.
What’s the best
about these years?
When as a teen,
you live in fear.
Questions on Teen Years
1. Which line of the poem do you connect with the most?
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2. What does the word strife mean? Is strife a good choice of diction for the
poem?
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3. What could happen in the life of a teenager which might cause strife?
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4. What is the theme of the poem?
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5. What is the tone of the poem? (The tone is the implied attitude of the
writer towards what he/she has written.)
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6. Who do you think Kyle Robicheaux wrote this poem for? (In other words,
who is the Audience of the poem?)
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7. On the next page write a constructed response for the question provided.
Follow your DSSC model and knock the question out of the park.
How does the tone of the poem Teen Years help to develop the theme found within
the poem?
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The Little Boy and the Old Man
Shel Silverstein
Said the little boy, “Sometimes I drop my spoon.”
Said the old man, “I do that too.”
The little boy whispered, “I wet my pants.”
“I do that too,” laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, “I often cry.”
The old man nodded, “So do I.”
“But worst of all,” said the boy, “it seems
Grown-ups don’t pay attention to me.”
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
“I know what you mean,” said the little old man.
Questions on
The Little Boy and the Old Man
1. How many speakers are there in the poem? Who is/are the voice(s) in the
poem?
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2. What is the theme of the poem?
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3. Is there a comparison being made in the poem? If so, what is it between?
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4. Which literary device is most prominent in the poem?
a) Alliteration
b) Allusion
c) Juxtaposition
d) Simile
5. On the next page write a constructed response for the question provided.
Follow your DSSC model and knock the question out of the park.
In The Little Boy and the Old Man there is a juxtaposition of characters. Explain
why the poet has chosen to do this and what it has accomplished within the poem.
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Guilt
Michael O Nowlan
I first saw death
In the struggling of a stray dog
My father shot years ago.
(Blood on white snow
Life clinging aimlessly)
Then in the many fish
Caught in silent streams
The vision returns.
(Arching gills
Grasping in vain)
A rabbit alive
in a snare pleaded
As my axe struck viciously.
(Terrified squeals
And spurting blood)
A partridge wounded
Snuffed1 out his last
Under my thoughtless boot.
(No image
just silence)
I leave these deeds
to others
now
1
Extinguished / Stopped / Killed
Questions on Guilt
1. Would you feel guilty for seeing, or causing, death to the animals mentioned
in Guilt? Why or why not?
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2. What is alliteration? Can you find an example of it in this poem?
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3. There are examples of extremely vivid imagery in this poem, provide two
examples of dramatic images.
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4. What is personification? Provide two examples of this device that are used
in the poem.
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5. On the next page write a constructed response for the question provided.
Follow your DSSC model and knock the question out of the park.
Poets use imagery to provide their reader with a visual connection to their poem.
How and why is imagery used in the poem Guilt?
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The Mate
James Stokely
I was only sixteen
And sat trying not to cry in the woods.
I had had no luck
And the October sun was nearly gone.
Uncle Rance, over to my right,
Already had a dozen partridges,
And Lute McSween, a quarter of a mile to the left,
A brace of ducks.
I stood up, wiped my eyes,
And tiptoed into a little clearing
With only the sound of hidden insects
To accompany my ritual stalk and breath.
Suddenly my heart leaped into my hand
As I saw a movement not fifty feet away
The sunlight filtering through the leaves
To envelop the gorgeous creature
In a golden-brown haze,
Strange, proud scion of sky and earth,
Its neck firm and erect,
Its tuft of wing flecked with a lost-world tint
Of rainbow trout in a pool of ferns.
There was no sound
But the beating of two wild hearts.
With the ancient thirst ripe within me
My finger squeezed the lock of my 20-gauge
And the long-tailed ring-necked pheasant
Surprised in its solitary foraging
Collapsed like a rag doll.
The prize was mine!
Why did I not move?
I saw something greenish-blue and red
Come running from the brush
In a frenzy of clucking
Speaking to the lump of bone, flesh, and feathers,
Seeking to lead it to safety.
Rance called from the farther hill
But I did not answer.
I looked at my gun.
The woods and the bird and I
Were equally still.
Questions on The Mate
1. Who is the voice of the poem?
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2. What does the title, “The Mate”, stand for/symbolize?
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3. What image stands out the most to you in the poem?
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4. What is the theme of the poem?
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5. If the narrator has one major emotion throughout the poem, what is it?
Support your answer with a line or two from the poem.
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6. What literary device is being used in the line “My heart leaped into my
hand”?
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7. On the next page write a constructed response for the question provided.
Follow your DSSC model and knock the question out of the park.
Emotions and feelings of characters in a story reveal a lot about the story. How do
the narrator’s emotions affect the theme found in The Mate?
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