Teens talk poems-2010

Veracity Learning Inc.

You Can Do It!

Teens Talk Poems Decipher. Visualize. Respond.

Vera Borukhov

Copyright Vera Borukhov and Veracity Learning Inc. 2010 http://www.veracitylearning.com | 2

Poetic Device

Ever heard the term ―poetic device‖? It sounds fancy, but there’s really nothing complicated

about it. A poetic device is simply a strategy poets and writers use to convey (express) their ideas

or get their point across.

Poets use many different devices, and each one has a name. Here are some of the most

commonly used ones.

Most definitions for the following have been taken from the Cliff’s Notes Advanced Placement

English Language and Composition Preparation Guide by Barbara V. Swovelin.

1. Metaphor—a figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or

the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language

makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought-provoking and meaningful.

2. Simile—Comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other,

suggesting some similarity, using ―like‖ or ―as.‖

3. Personification—a figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts,

animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.

Personification is used to make these abstractions, animals or objects appear more vivid

to the reader.

4. Imagery—the sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion or

represent abstractions.

5. Oxymoron—From the Greek for ―pointedly foolish,‖ an oxymoron is a figure of speech

wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. For

example, ―cruel kindness.‖

6. Hyperbole—a figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

7. Tone –describes the author’s attitude toward his or her material, the audience or both.

Some words describing tone are playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous,

formal, ornate and somber.

8. Mood—the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.

9. Allusion - a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly

known, such as an event, book, myth, place or work of art. For example, referring to

Hitler, Queen Elizabeth I or Obama would be an historical allusion. Referring to Adam


and Eve or Noah and the flood would be a religious allusion.

10. Repetition—the duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language,

such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence or grammatical pattern.

11. Symbol—generally anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually, a

symbol is something concrete—such as an object, action, character or scene—that

represents something more abstract (theoretical or conceptual).

How this workbook began…

Now that you’ve learned about some of the basic strategies writers use to express themselves, let

me explain what inspired me to create this workbook.

Teens Talk Poems is based on this quote: “Poetry… wasn’t meant to be obvious on its surface,

and every reader, whether they were Princeton smarties or community college dropouts, had to

go through the process of deciphering [translating, interpreting] the words, then the sentences,

then the stanzas, pulling the poem apart and putting it back together before it would yield (give

up) its meaning.” Jennifer Weiner, In Her Shoes

Sample response:

―Through the process of pulling a poem apart we can better appreciate the diligent construction

of a poem which will yield a deeper, perhaps more personal understanding. By isolating key

words, phrases and images, [it] will allow us to expand on the poems’ vision and make

connections with our life.‖ Peter Sirena, English teacher.

Your response:

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How to use this workbook

Start by answering the introductory question you’ll find before each poem. Then read the poem

twice and make sure you understand it. We’ve included definitions of some of the words that

may be unfamiliar to you, but if there are other words you don’t understand, look them up in the

dictionary. Then read the poem again and answer the comprehension questions that follow.

Next, you’ll be asked to think about the poem’s images and actions and draw a picture of them.

Finally, use your own ideas and experiences to answer the response questions.

Now before you go on, think and write about this:

What is a poem? (Remember, there is no right or wrong answer!) Think about your

interpretation or explanation of what a poem is based on all the different kinds of poems you’ve

read throughout your life, both in and out of school. Now answer the question, being sure to

include the few elements that, in your opinion, most poems share.

Your response:

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―Poems tell stories and express feelings in creative ways, all through musical and rhythmical

language. They can be short or long, funny or serious, sad or joyful. Some poems rhyme and

others do not. Some have an obvious structure while others do not. But every poem is a work of

art made entirely of words.‖ Scholastic, They’re Poets and They Know It!: A Collection of 30

Timeless Poems.

There are many different kinds of poems; here, we’ll discuss four of the most popular

forms.

The definitions for Rhyming Poems, Free Verse and Narrative Poems, have been taken from

Scholastic’s They’re Poets and They Know It!: A Collection of 30 Timeless Poems.

Rhyming Poems—rhyming sounds are everywhere - in song lyrics, TV advertisements and

poetry. Rhyme is a technique that creates rhythm using words that sound alike.

Free Verse—if you are a rule-breaker, free verse might be the poetry form for you. Free verse

doesn’t have to rhyme, but many free verse have their own patterns. Poets like to write in free

verse because it gives them lots of freedom to express themselves.

Narrative Poems—tell a story and are longer than most forms of poetry. A narrative poem can

rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. Narrative poems can also have patterns that create rhythm. Each

line might have the same number of syllables, or the stanzas might have the same number of

lines.

Sonnet-- is a poem with a very specific structure:

There are a total of 14 lines, with 10 syllables in each line.

The first 12 lines are quatrains. A quatrain is four lines; think of the word quatro, which

means ―four‖ in Spanish. So there are three sets of four lines, or three quatrains.

The last two lines are a couplet. (Think of the word ―couple,‖ which means ―two.‖)

The sonnet follows the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Notice that in each

quatrain, every other line rhymes; in a couplet, both lines rhyme.

Sonnets are often about love.


Dreams!


Think and write about this: Are you committed to your dreams?

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Dreams

By: Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

About the poet: Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was an African-American poet and writer who

prospered during the Harlem Renaissance. He sought to explore and celebrate the experience of

being black in America.

Vocabulary:

Barren : frozen, unfertile, unproductive.

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Comprehension Questions:

What kind of poem is this? Comment on its structure.

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What two poetic devices does Hughes use to convey his point?

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What two points does he make about dreams?

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What do these points encourage you to do?

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Visualize it! Make a mental image of the poem and draw what you see.


Respond!

Write a letter to Mr. Hughes and tell him your reaction to his advice. Be sure to answer the

following questions: 1. Did Hughes encourage you to ―hold fast‖ to your dream? 2. What is

your dream? 3. What do you want to know about ―holding fast‖ to dreams? (For example, are

you wondering how hard or easy it may be? How do you plan to ―hold fast‖ to your dreams?)

Include as many specific details as you can. Broad statements like ―I really liked this poem‖ or

―Dreams are important‖ are just plain boring.

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A Dream Deferred!


Think and write about this: Did you ever watch yourself or someone you know put off or give

up on a dream? What was it like?

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Harlem (Dream Deferred)

By Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over--

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Vocabulary

Fester: to produce pus or rot gradually. It can also mean ―producing bitter feelings.‖

Defer: to put off or postpone.

Comprehension Questions

What is Hughes questioning here?

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What poetic device does he use to convey his point?

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Write down the phrase that speaks to you the most. How are you able to relate to it?

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What do you think inspired Hughes to write this, based on his life and background?

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Visualize it! Make a mental image of this poem and draw what you see.


Respond!

Write a poem or an editorial discussing what could happen when people defer their dreams. Be

imaginative and descriptive. (An editorial is an article in a newspaper or other periodical presenting

the opinion of the publisher, editor, or editors.)

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Listen Little Sister!


Think and write about this: Do women have a fear of men? Or do men fear women?

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South Fork Poetry

Adam’s Rib Sandwich

By Beverly Wiggins Wells

Listen little sister

You will know him by the traces of evil

Oiling the corners of his glib mouth

Beware of this fork-tongued man with rich and ready appetite for young

rib sandwiches,

Who sees you as saucy, succulent fastfood,

Convenient sweet meat, willing to be middled

And smacked for a time or a lifetime

Between coarse slices of self serving gluttony

And bit by bit, and

Bite by bite this man will pepper your heart

In sharp-toothed pain, feed upon your spirit,

Devour your tender soul, sucking your bones and

Your personhood cleaner than mama’s chitterlings, belch

And contemptuously snake along to the next darned rib sandwich.

Listen little sister…

About the poet: Beverley Wiggins Wells is an African-American poet from Sag Harbor, New

York. This is a passage from ―Simply Black,‖ a collection of poems published in August 1993.

Vocabulary

Glib: Shallow, pat, facile Succulent: Juicy Gluttony: Excessive eating and drinking Devour: To eat up hungrily or take in eagerly Contemptuously: With contempt; viewing something or someone as vile or worthless Chitterlings: A dish made of fried or boiled pigs’ intestines (sometimes abbreviated to “chitlins”)




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What poetic devices are used here for the author to convey (express) her point? Give examples.

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What are the adjectives and adverbs being used here?

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What is the theme?

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Visualize it! What’s going on in this poem? Make a picture in your mind and draw it.


Respond!

Did you ever have to warn someone about something serious? If not, this is your chance: Write

a strong warning to someone you know about a danger he or she may be in. You may employ

the same techniques as the author or use another poetic device to get your point across.

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Nostalgia!


Think and write about this: What is nostalgia? Have you experienced it lately? Write how

you feel about being nostalgic for something.

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Pot Roast

By Mark Strand

I gaze upon the roast,

that is sliced and laid out

on my plate

and over it

I spoon the juices

of carrot and onion.

And for once I do not regret

the passage of time.

I sit by a window

that looks

on the soot-stained brick of buildings

and do not care that I see

no living thing—not a bird,

not a branch in bloom,

not a soul moving

in the rooms

behind the dark panes.

These days when there is little

to love or to praise

one could do worse

than yield

to the power of food.

So I bend

to inhale

the steam that rises

from my plate, and I think

of the first time

I tasted a roast


like this.

It was years ago

in Seabright,

Nova Scotia;

my mother leaned

over my dish and filled it

and when I finished

filled it again.

I remember the gravy,

its odor of garlic and celery,

and sopping it up

with pieces of bread.

And now

I taste it again.

The meat of memory.

The meat of no change.

I raise my fork in praise,

and I eat.

About the poet: Born in Canada in 1934, Mark Strand has lived and worked in the United

States most of his life. Currently, he teaches English and comparative literature at Columbia

University in New York City. His poetry, noted for the stories it tells, earned him the Pulitzer

Prize in 1999.

Vocabulary

Gaze: look intently at

Soot: Black dust from coal or smoke

Bloom: Come into flower; become physically perfect

Yield: Give way to

Nova Scotia: An eastern Canadian province

Sopping: Dripping wet




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What poetic device does Strand use to convey (express) his point about this pot roast?

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Write them out and explain them in at least 5 descriptive phrases.

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What can you infer (conclude, decide) about the narrator’s life based on these descriptions?

Support your answer with quotes.

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Visualize it! Envision this poem and draw what you see.


Respond!

Write a poem or short story expressing nostalgia for something in your past. You have the right

to be imaginative and descriptive.

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Limits Unlimited!


Think and write about this: What is a limit? What does it mean to set limits on yourself or to

be limited by society?

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A Work of Artifice

By Marge Piercy

The bonsai tree

in the attractive pot

could have grown eighty feet tall

on the side of a mountain

till split by lightning.

But a gardener

carefully pruned it.

It is nine inches high.

Every day as he

whittles back the branches

the gardener croons,

It is your nature

to be small and cozy,

domestic and weak;

how lucky, little tree,

to have a pot to grow in.

With living creatures

one must begin very early

to dwarf their growth:

the bound feet,

the crippled brain,

the hair in curlers,

the hands you

love to touch


About the poet: Born in 1936 in Detroit, Marge Piercy is the author of 17 volumes of poetry as

well as several novels. ―Piercy’s poetry tends to be highly personal free verse and often

addresses the same concern with feminist and social issues. Her work shows commitment to the

dream of social change.‖ Poemhunter.com

Vocabulary

Artifice: Craftiness; clever trick; skillful work

Bonsai: A tree or shrub that has been dwarfed by providing roots and pinching the shoots and

branches.

Prune: To remove or cut away undesired parts

Whittle: To cut, trim

Croon: To sing or hum in a soft soothing voice



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What does the Bonsai tree represent?

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Who does the gardener represent?

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How does the author convey her point?

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What is happening to the Bonsai tree?

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What is the narrator’s tone and mood here?

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What is the theme?

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How is this relevant to history?

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Visualize it! Create a picture of this poem in your mind and draw what you see.


Respond!

Write a 3-5 paragraph composition explaining how this poem relates to history and what effects

it has today.

Sound too boring for you? Try this instead: Explain the meaning of the word limit. Did you ever

have to limit yourself or did you ever see others limit themselves? How do you think it feels to

impose limits on ourselves? Should we or shouldn’t we? When is it okay to impose limits, and

when should people be unlimited?

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Helpless Agony!


Think and write about this: Did you ever mourn the death of someone you didn’t know

personally but who you greatly admired – an actor, singer, sports star, scientist, political figure?

What would you tell that person if you could?

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O Captain! My Captain!

By Walt Whitman

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up--for you the flag is flung for you the bugle trills,

For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths for you the shores a-

crowding,

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head!

It is some dream that on the deck,

You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;

The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;

Exult O shores, and ring O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.


About the poet: Arguably, Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is America’s most influential and

innovative poet. Much of his writing reflects American history, freedom of thought, democracy

and liberty.

Vocabulary:

Sought: Looked for

Exulting: Rejoicing

Keel: The curved base of a ship’s frame; a ―steady keel‖ indicates the ship is moving smoothly

Grim : Forbidding, threatening, humorless

Bugle: A small trumpet-like horn with no valves

Trills: Short, vibrating sound like a birdcall

Swaying mass: A crowd moving back and forth

Mournful: Feeling or showing sadness


Comment on the structure of the poem, not what kind it is.

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Who is the Captain?

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Explain the scene each stanza describes.

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What is the scene variation from stanza to stanza?

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How is the narrator portrayed (shown, seen) in this poem?

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What are the themes?

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How is this relevant to history?

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Visualize it! Think of the pictures this poem summons up in your mind, and draw what you see.


Respond!

Write on one of the following topics:

1. How does this poem relate to history, and what relevance does it have today?

2. ―O Captain! My Captain!‖ captures a sense of agony and injustice. Write about a time

you felt that way. Be descriptive and use different poetic devices, as Whitman does. Let

your feelings pour out.

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A Red Red Rose!


Think and write about this: What does the word ―extreme‖ mean? How can it be applied to

everyday life to describe situations or people?

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A Red, Red Rose

By Robert Burns

O my Luve's like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June;

O my Luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I:

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry:

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun;

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve,

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my Luve,

Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

About the poet: Robert Burns (1759-1796) is considered Scotland’s national poet. He was a

major voice of the literary time period called Romanticism (or the Romantic Era), ―a complex

artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in

Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution.‖ (Wikipedia.com) Burns was known

for pursuing his desires with ultimate zeal. Burns also wrote lyrics to classic Scots folk songs; ―Red, Red

Rose‖ is one of them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe%20/%20Europe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution%20/%20Industrial%20Revolution


Vocabulary

Luve’s: Love’s

Art thou: Are you

Bonnie lass: Pretty young girl

Gang: Go

Thee: You

Fare thee weel: Farewell; goodbye

Comprehension Questions:

What poetic device does the narrator use to convey his point? Explain your answer and use at

least 5 examples/quotes to support your answer.

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Visualize it! Envision this poem and draw what you see.


Respond!

Write a poem or a letter to Mr. Burns. Tell him about a time when you felt very strongly about

something – love, hate, fear or another emotion - and describe what it was like.

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The Brain & the Sky…


Think and write about this: What power does your mind have?

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The Brain

By Emily Dickinson

The brain is wider than the sky,

For, put them side by side,

The one the other will include

With ease, and you beside.

The brain is deeper than the sea,

For, hold them, blue to blue,

The one the other will absorb,

As sponges, buckets do.

The brain is just the weight of God,

For, lift them, pound for pound,

And they will differ, if they do,

As syllable from sound.

About the poet: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was an American poet from Amherst,

Massachusetts. She lived a lonely, secluded life, rarely leaving her home. Most of her works

were published after her death, when her younger sister Lavinia discovered nearly 1,800 of her

poems.

Vocabulary

Heft: Weight, heaviness, significance or impact


Comment on the poem’s structure, including the rhyme scheme and the number of stanzas.

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What three elements does Dickinson compare the brain to? How does she justify these

comparisons?

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What are your thoughts on this interesting comparison?

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Visualize it! Draw a picture of the image this poem conjures up in your mind.


Respond!

What beliefs, values or morals were you taught as a child, and do they differ from the beliefs you

hold now?

How have these beliefs shaped your life today?

What is the power of beliefs or values?

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Phenomenal!


Think and write about this: Describe yourself using two positive and powerful words.

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Phenomenal Woman

By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.


Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.


About the poet: Born in 1928, Maya Angelou is a renowned African-American author and poet

best known for her series of autobiographies, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Angelou is a popular lecturer and a powerful

spokesperson for women and the black community.

Vocabulary

Phenomenal: Extraordinary, unusual; can also mean something experienced through the senses

rather than through thought



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Explain the narrator’s mood and tone.

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What is the narrator proclaiming? What does she mean by ―phenomenal‖?

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What device does Angelou effectively use to convey her proclamation?

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What is the theme here?

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How does this poem apply to people’s understanding of women, and/or stereotypes about them?

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Visualize it! Think about the images in this poem and draw what you see.


Respond! Earlier you used two words to describe yourself. Now expand on this by explaining

how those two words are special to you and why. Write at least one full page. Love yourself

here – tell us how you shine!

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Frustration! Condemnation!


Think and write about this: What does it mean to condemn or show frustration towards

something? Have you ever condemned anything or anyone?

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BABI YAR

By Yevgeni Yevtushenko

Translated by Benjamin Okopnik, 10/96

No monument stands over Babi Yar.

A steep cliff only, like the rudest headstone.

I am afraid.

Today, I am as old

As the entire Jewish race itself.

I see myself an ancient Israelite.

I wander o'er the roads of ancient Egypt

And here, upon the cross, I perish, tortured

And even now, I bear the marks of nails.

It seems to me that Dreyfus is myself.

The Philistines betrayed me - and now judge.

I'm in a cage. Surrounded and trapped,

I'm persecuted, spat on, slandered, and

The dainty dollies in their Brussels frills

Squeal, as they stab umbrellas at my face.

I see myself a boy in Belostok

Blood spills, and runs upon the floors,

The chiefs of bar and pub rage unimpeded

And reek of vodka and of onion, half and half.

I'm thrown back by a boot, I have no strength left,

In vain I beg the rabble of pogrom,

To jeers of "Kill the Jews, and save our Russia!"

My mother's being beaten by a clerk.

O, Russia of my heart, I know that you

Are international, by inner nature.

But often those whose hands are steeped in filth

mailto:[email protected]


Abused your purest name, in name of hatred.

I know the kindness of my native land.

How vile, that without the slightest quiver

The antisemites have proclaimed themselves

The "Union of the Russian People!"

It seems to me that I am Anna Frank,

Transparent, as the thinnest branch in April,

And I'm in love, and have no need of phrases,

But only that we gaze into each other's eyes.

How little one can see, or even sense!

Leaves are forbidden, so is sky,

But much is still allowed - very gently

In darkened rooms each other to embrace.

-"They come!"

-"No, fear not - those are sounds

Of spring itself. She's coming soon.

Quickly, your lips!"

-"They break the door!"

-"No, river ice is breaking..."

Wild grasses rustle over Babi Yar,

The trees look sternly, as if passing judgement.

Here, silently, all screams, and, hat in hand,

I feel my hair changing shade to gray.

And I myself, like one long soundless scream

Above the thousands of thousands interred,

I'm every old man executed here,

As I am every child murdered here.

No fiber of my body will forget this.

May "Internationale" thunder and ring

When, for all time, is buried and forgotten

The last of antisemites on this earth.

There is no Jewish blood that's blood of mine,


But, hated with a passion that's corrosive

Am I by antisemites like a Jew.

And that is why I call myself a Russian!

About the poet: Born in 1933, Yevgeny Yevtushenko is a Russian poet, author and playwright

who taught briefly at Queens College, CUNY. He wrote this poem in 1961 to memorialize the

mass murder of 33,771 Jews of Kiev at Babi Yar ravine over a two-day period in September of

1941.

Vocabulary

Perish: Die off; pass away

Philistines: Barbarians

Persecute: To pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religion, race,

or beliefs

Slander: Verbal attack; defamation; insult

Dainty: Delicate

Dollies: Low trucks or carts with small wheels for moving loads too heavy to be carried by hand

Brussels: City in Belgium, Europe

Frills: Luxuries, ornaments

Unimpeded: Clear, open, unrestrained

Rabble: Crowd

Pogrom: An organized massacre, especially of Jews

Vile: Evil

Quiver: Tremble, shake

Interred: Placed in a grave or tomb; buried

Corrosive: Harmful or destructive; to corrode is to eat or wear away at something (rust corrodes

metal)


Dryfus: Alfred Dryfus, a French officer, unfairly dismissed from service in 1894 due to trumped-

up charges prompted by anti-Semitism

Belostok: The largest city in northern Poland (also known as Bialystok). Belostok was the site of

the first and most violent Nazi pogroms, similar to the German Kristallnacht of 1938.

"Internationale": The national anthem of the Soviet Union



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Interpret each stanza.

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What is Yevtushenko’s mood and tone?

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Write out the similes or metaphors and interpret them.

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What is the poet condemning?

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Write out phrases that describe the narrator’s emotions, beliefs or ideas.

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Visualize it! Draw a picture based on the images in this poem.


Respond!

Expand on the earlier question. Has anything recently happened to you that made you frustrated

or angry? Tell us all about it. We want to hear your voice. You matter! Start writing!

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FOD!

Fear of Death…


Think and write about this: Is there anything in this life that scares you? What is it, and why

does it scare you?

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WHEN I have fears that I may cease to be

By John Keats

WHEN I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,

Before high-piled books, in charactery,

Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;

When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face, 5

Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,

And feel that I may never live to trace

Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;

And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!

That I shall never look upon thee more,

Never have relish in the faery power

Of unreflecting love;—then on the shore

Of the wide world I stand alone, and think,

Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

About the poet: John Keats (1795-1821) was the last born of the English Romantic poets and,

at 25, the youngest to die. His popular works are noted for their sensual imagery.

Vocabulary

Charactery: A system of characters or symbols used to express or convey thought and meaning

Teeming: Crowded; packed

Garners: Granaries; storehouses for grain

Relish: Savor, enjoy, delight in

Faery: Fairy-like; magical

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism%20/%20Romanticism




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Interpret each quatrain.

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Interpret the couplet.

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What is the narrator’s fear?

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What is/are the theme(s)?

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Visualize it! Think of the images this poem produces in your mind, and draw them.


Respond!

Earlier, you were asked to think about what scares you. Now expand on that thought. Why do

you fear this thing/person/situation? What comes to mind when you think about it? What

conclusion have you come to about your fears?

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Speak!


Think and write about this: Did you ever speak up for anyone? Or did you ever choose not to

speak up about something because it didn’t involve you?

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First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out

– because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out

- because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out

- because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

- because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me

- and there was no one left to speak out for me.

----Martin Niemoller

About the poet: Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) was a Lutheran minister and early Nazi

supporter who was later imprisoned for opposing Hitler’s regime.

Vocabulary

Communist: Follower of the Communist political movement, which supports the idea of a society

without social classes, in which wealth is distributed according to need.

Socialist: Advocate of the socialist theory, which believes that all working for the good of the

community are equally entitled to the care and protection of the community. Different forms of

socialism stress either economic or social issues.

Trade unionist: Member of a trade union. Trade unions are associations of workers in any trade

who organize to protect their own interests (wages, work hours, etc.)



What kind of poem is this? Note its structure.

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What poetic device does this poet use to convey the message of his poem?

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What do you think is the sole purpose and the central theme of this poem?

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Visualize it! Draw a picture of the images you think about when you read this poem.


Respond!

What injustice do you see in your community that you think should be addressed? What action

needs to be taken to make things right?

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The End

Thank you for making a decision to own this workbook that I diligently created for you to help make it

easier and more fun to understand and appreciate classic poems. I hope you enjoyed this workbook as

much as I enjoyed creating it for you.

Educationally and entrepreneurially yours,

Vera Borukhov

___________________________________________________________________________________

About Vera Borukhov: Vera is an entrepreneur, educator, and believer. She is the founder and

director of Veracity Learning Inc.

About Veracity LearningInc:

Veracity Learning Inc. provides tutoring and educational services for K-12th grade children.

Mission: Through one-on-one and group tutoring, Veracity Learning, Inc., educates truthfully to

reveal your child’s talents and/or genius. This ultimately improves their school and life

experience, making them self-sufficient and happy adults.

Vision: Every child has a special talent to share with the world.

Other workbooks in the Teens Talk Series that you may download on our website,

http://www.veracitylearning.com

Teens Talk Latin & Greek

Teens Talk Shakespeare

http://www.veracitylearning.com/

Documents

Teens talk poems-2010