CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
“Alone” by Fuzzy
Poem 1
5
10
STUDENT # _________________
Nowhere to go
Nowhere to hide
Where am I
Where shall I bide?
No one wants to
Look on the inside,
And I can't trust anyone
To whom I can confide
In the forest of dreams
Helplessly, I wander
I am trapped inside,
My life, I squander
My secrets,
My secrets
Resting alone
No one cares about what I bear
No one cares what I’ve known
Everyone sees me as a
Monster, a threat
When really I am
Homeless, cold, and wet.
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
20
My life is a mystery
My life, unknown
No one worries about me
I am left here,
Alone.
Poem Type
& Support
Primary
Poetic
Devices
15
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
In “Alone” by Fuzzy the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
25
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 2
5
10
15
20
“Anabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and meYes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than loveI and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than weOf many far wiser than weAnd neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “Anabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
2
25
30
35
40
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 3
“But You Didn’t” by Merrill Glass
Remember the time you lent me your car and I dented it?
I thought you'd kill me...
But you didn't.
5
10
Remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was
formal, and you came in jeans?
I thought you'd hate me...
But you didn't.
Remember the times I'd flirt with
other boys just to make you jealous, and
you were?
I thought you'd drop me...
But you didn't.
There were plenty of things you did to put up with me,
to keep me happy, to love me, and there are
so many things I wanted to tell
you when you returned from
Vietnam...
But you didn't.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “But You Didn’t” by Merrill Glass the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
3
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
“Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou
Poem 4
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
5
10
15
20
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
In “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
4
25
30
35
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 5
“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed
through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped
behind.
5
10
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
5
15
20
25
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 6
5
10
“I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “In Wondered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
6
15
20
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 7
“If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda
I want you to know
one thing.
5
10
15
If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
30
35
But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
20
25
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
7
40
45
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 8
5
“Museum Guard” by David Hernandez
My condolences to the man dressed
for a funeral, sitting bored
on a gray folding chair, the zero
or shooting arrows at rosy-cheeked cherubs
hiding behind a woolly cloud.
With time limping along
of his mouth widening in a yawn.
No doubt he’s pictured himself inside
a painting or two around his station,
like a Bruegel beggar, no doubt
he’s even seen himself taking the place
of the one crucified: the black spike
stealing a plump green grape
from the cluster hanging above
the corkscrew locks of Dionysus,
of the minute hand piercing his left palm,
the hour hand penetrating the right,
nailed forever to one spot.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “Museum Guard” by David Hernandez the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
8
10
15
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 9
5
“A Poison Tree” by William Blake
I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.
And I water’d it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And into my garden stole.
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see,
My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
10
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “A Poison Tree” by William Blake the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
9
15
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 10
5
10
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
Poem Type
& Support
Narrative / Ballad / Ode / Elegy / Lyric
Poem Form
& Support
Sonnet / Blank Verse / Free Verse / Stanza (incl. type)
Primary
Poetic
Devices
Message &
Meaning
(& Support)
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
In “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein the poet’s message is
which is supported by the use of
10
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 2
Poem 7
“Anabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe
“If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda
Discuss how the speaker from one poem would react to the views about loss as
expressed by the speaker in the other poem (you may choose WHICH speaker is ‘looking
at’ the other speaker’s poem).
Step 1: The Introduction/AG (you are allowed to preplan and write your introductory material):
Theme (what main theme from the texts will you be using to look at connections & comparisons):
The theme will be explored in the following way (choose one). Remember to include a divided thesis.
 As it emerges in the texts (NARROWING) – often shown as the poem progresses
 How the authors/poets present this theme (METHOD) – narrative, poetic devices
 How is it significant and why should we care? (MERIT) – theme, epiphany, value, meaning
The question will be answered because you have proven that: (transitional idea/partial epiphany)
11
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
General Idea
Common Idea/Topic 1:
Quotations
Poem 1:
Poem 2:
Common Idea/Topic 2:
Poem 1:
Poem 2:
Stylistic Devices highlighted
Conclusion/Impact/Epiphany
12
Significance
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Poem 3
Poem 9
“But You Didn’t” by Merrill Glass
“A Poison Tree” by William Blake
Discuss how the speaker from one poem would react to the views about regret as
expressed by the speaker in the other poem (you may choose WHICH speaker is ‘looking
at’ the other speaker’s poem).
Step 1: The Introduction/AG (you are allowed to preplan and write your introductory material):
Theme (what main theme from the texts will you be using to look at connections & comparisons):
The theme will be explored in the following way (choose one). Remember to include a divided thesis.
 As it emerges in the texts (NARROWING) – often shown as the poem progresses
 How the authors/poets present this theme (METHOD) – narrative, poetic devices
 How is it significant and why should we care? (MERIT) – theme, epiphany, value, meaning
The question will be answered because you have proven that: (transitional idea/partial epiphany)
13
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
General Idea
Common Idea/Topic 1:
Quotations
Poem 1:
Poem 2:
Common Idea/Topic 2:
Poem 1:
Poem 2:
Stylistic Devices highlighted
Conclusion/Impact/Epiphany
14
Significance
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
This assessment evaluates your understanding and comprehension of the figurative elements and
language of poetry, and your ability to respond through a process of understanding, analyzing,
assessing, and synthesizing your written answers.
Read all instructions carefully and answer all the questions to the best of your ability. You will have the
complete period. Do all your work in this booklet. Only answers in the required box will receive marks.
All answers should be clearly indicated, legible, grammatical, and all words spelled properly to receive
full marks. After you have completed your assessment, upload a copy to the closed dropbox.
Reference Terms
Comparative Terms
Definitions
Analysis
The separating of one unified element into separate components.
Assess
Estimate the value of something based on some criteria; present an informed judgment.
Compare
Describe how the elements or qualities of one event, issue or character are similar to those of
another. Often used in conjunction with CONTRAST.
Contrast
Describe how the elements or qualities of one event, issue or character are different from
those of another. See COMPARE.
Describe
Give a detailed or graphic account of an object, event, or concept.
Discuss
Present the various points of view in a debate or argument; engage in written discourse on a
particular topic, process or concept.
Evaluate
Use criteria or standards to make judgments about the strengths and weaknesses of a
position on a particular issue.
Explain
Give an account of a topic, process, or concept, providing evidence and reasons.
Synthesis
The combining of the separate elements into a single or unified entity.
To What Extent
Advance arguments in favour of a position or point of view and respond to or take into
account arguments opposed to that position or point of view.
Poetic Device Terminology
1
Poetic Devices
Alliteration
Hyperbole
Allusion
Imagery
Antithesis
Metaphor
Apostrophe
Onomatopoeia
Assonance
Oxymoron
Consonance
Personification
Euphemism
Simile
Symbol
2
Poetry Types
Ballad
Elegy
Lyric
Narrative
Ode
4
Stanza Types
Couplet
Tercet
Quatrain
Quintain
Sestet
Septet
Octave
3
Poetry Forms
Blank Verse
Sonnet
Free Verse
Stanza
15
5
Additional Terms
Atmosphere
Juxtaposition
Audience
Meaning
Cacophony
Mood
Connotation
Narrator
Denotation
Pathos
Dissonance
Soliloquy
Epiphany
Theme
Figurative
Understatement
Language
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
TEST OVERVIEW & EXAMPLES
Section 1: Poetry Terminology: Each response will be assessed holistically on a lettergrade scale.
Instructions
Using a minimum of 3 different poetic devices chosen from the Poetic Devices (column 1 on
the previous page) or the list below (table at the bottom of this page), choose 3 of the
supplied lines of poetry below to write a final answer that demonstrates understanding of
HOW the poetic devices are being used to support the poem’s message/meaning
Poetry Line
"Now the old king is dead, long live the king"
Devices
Paradox
How can the king be
Process &
Brainstorming dead and live at the
Antithesis
Inversion of the same
ideas
same time?
Response
Allusion
Historical ref to when kings
would die and new king
would be announced right
away
Alliteration
Long live ; repeating same
sound over again
In this line of poetry there is the use of allusion by making historical reference to the paradoxical and
also antithetical acknowledgement proclaiming the death of the old king, and the simultaneous
succession of a new king. This was typically done in European monarchies as a means of reassuring the
people that law and order were still maintained in the transition of power by announcing “long live
the king”, which is also making use of alliteration. However, here the poet, Chris Martin, is using the
paradox to illustrate how even the mightiest can become destitute and undesirable, as power is
always fleeting.
1. Choose 3 of the poetry line questions to answer. For ease of reference, the question number corresponds to the
poem number in your booklet, and the lines numbers are indicated within the brackets.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
Time does not pass when snow is falling — / only the silence falls. (1-2)
2.
Come death come birth / Edge a little closer (11-12)
3.
When it starts to snow in hell / You won't believe me (13-14)
4.
Not the sweet, new grass with flowers / Is this harvesting of ours; (8-9)
5.
You write out lists—birthdays, names, everything— / it’s a matter of survival (24-25)
6.
Books have / something to say and are bound / to say it. (13-15)
7.
Who are we to explain / that man is the measure, / not mites or nebulae. (22-25)
8.
part of her / had fallen /down those stairs / into that concrete (10-13)
9.
If love be all, / What should men do but love? (8-9)
10. I want to smash the whole thing into a pile of junk to be hauled away to the scrap yard (5)
Correctly type/copy/paste each line of poetry in the space provided.
List each of the poetry terms/devices that exist in the supplied line of poetry (a minimum of 3 different types).
If desired, use the process box to plan and brainstorm the best answer to the question
Use the RESPONSE box to write your final answer that demonstrates understanding of HOW the poetic devices
are being used to accomplish a specific purpose. Do not provide mere definitions for the terms as your means of
responding (giving the definition for each term WILL NOT earn you any marks).
Alliteration
Allusion
Antithesis
Apostrophe
Assonance
Consonance
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
16
Paradox
Personification
Simile
Symbol
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Section 2: Poem Response: Each response will be assessed holistically on a lettergrade scale.
a) Answer each of the following questions in the appropriate response boxes for the poem supplied on
the adjacent page (you will be able to choose one of three poems). Each response will be assessed
holistically on a lettergrade scale.
5. Explain how the type of poem supports/facilities the poet’s message/meaning.
6. To what extent does the poetry form help the reader of the poem to understand the poet’s
message/meaning.
b) Supply a definition for each term used in the question to verify that you suitably understand their
meanings.
c) You may use the process box to plan and brainstorm the best answer to the question
d) Use the RESPONSE box to write your final answer. Do not provide mere definitions for the terms as your
means of responding (giving JUST the definition for each term WILL NOT earn you any marks).
Section 3: Poem Synthesis Response: Will be assessed holistically on a lettergrade scale.
Instructions
Using two of the following poems, respond to the synthesis question below. Then using your
SNAP pages in your booklet where you have planned and brainstormed the best answer to
the question write your final answer in the space provided. Your response will be assessed
holistically using the synthesis rubric on a lettergrade scale.
Discuss how the speaker from one poem would react to the views about loss as
expressed by the speaker in the other poem (you may choose WHICH speaker is
‘looking at’ the other speaker’s poem).
Choice 1
Poem 2
Poem 7
“Anabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe
“If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda
Discuss how the speaker from one poem would react to the views about regret
as expressed by the speaker in the other poem (you may choose WHICH speaker
is ‘looking at’ the other speaker’s poem).
Poem 3
Choice 2
Poem 9
“But You Didn’t” by Merrill Glass
“A Poison Tree” by William Blake
17
CLASS POETRY RESPONSE BOOKLET
Notes
18