DickinsonClasswk, Version: 1

Transcription

1 Name: Date: 1. Read the examples of figurative language below. For each example, identify the figure of speech used. Then write notes to answer the question about its meaning. (10 points each) 2. Think about Emily Dickinson's style in these poems. For each element of style listed below, write an example from one of the poems. Then write notes describing the effect it achieves in the poem. (5 points each)

2 Answer one of the following questions based on your understanding of the poems. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper. 3. How do you think the speaker of "This is my letter to the World" feels about nature and about "the World"? Explain your answer. 4. How do you think the speaker of "Because I could not stop for Death" feels about death? Support your answer with details from the poem. Answer the following question based on your own experience and knowledge. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper. 5. People sometimes refer to "communing with nature," that is, communicating or dealing with nature in close understanding. Does this make sense to you? What kind of message could a person get from nature?

3 Answer Key 1. Notes will vary but should include points similar to the following: 1. a. This is a metaphor comparing hope to a bird. b. It suggests that hope is a living thing; that it is a feeling or an emotion rather than a specific idea or thought. It also suggests that because the tune is "without words," an individual can personalize it by making it specific to his or her needs. 2. a. This is a simile comparing emotional pain to a stone. b. It suggests that after emotional pain, a person freezes his or her emotions and becomes as unfeeling as a stone. This permits the person to feel a kind of "contentment," or ease, in the absence of the pain that has been suppressed. 3. a. This is a personification of death. b. It suggests that death will come, whether one is prepared for it or not, and it may come at any time. It also suggests that death might be a relief or an act of kindness ("He kindly stopped..."). 2. Examples and notes will vary but should include points similar to the following: 1. a. Slant rhymes. From "Success... ": "Who took the Flag today... So clear of Victory." b. This inexact rhyme calls attention to the word victory, which is the key concept referred to in the next four lines. 2. a. Use of dashes. From "Much Madness... ": "Assent-and you are sane- / Demur-you're straightaway dangerous-." b. In this example, the dashes isolate and emphasize key ideas, which are also opposites, and they establish causes and effects. If one agress, one is sane; if one disagrees, one is not. 3. a. Unconventional capitalization. From "I heard a Fly... ": "And then the Windows failed-and then / I could not see to see-." b. The capitalization of "Windows" calls attention to the word. The reader must think about the meaning of this word to interpret the next line. For example, the eyes are sometimes called "windows to the soul," and the speaker, who is describing her own death ("when I died"), "could not see to see" when the "Windows failed." 4. a. Inverted syntax. From "Hope... ": "And sweetest-in the Gale-is heard- / And sore must be the storm-." b. Inverted syntax is often used to achieve a certain rhyme scheme. In this example, the syntax emphasizes the parallel but opposite nature of "sweetest" and "sore," and it leads the reader on to see what the gale, or storm, is affecting ("the little Bird"). 3. Answers will vary. Students could say that the speaker a. has positive feelings toward nature. b. believes that nature has entrusted him or her with a message. c. has tried to communicate that message. d. has not had much contact with people in general, or society. e. feels somewhat neglected by people in general, or society. f. is concerned that people in general may be judgmental about his or her work. g. believes that people in general feel positively about nature. 4. Answers will vary. Students could say that the speaker a. does not fear death. b. is aware that death can come at any time. c. is willing to face what comes with death. d. sees death as gentle or kind or, at least, considerate. e. believes in an afterlife.

4 5. Answers will vary widely, depending on students' personal experiences, situations, and viewpoints. Accept any answers that address the concern of the question and are elaborated by examples or details from the literature or from life.

5 Standards Summary SAT Terra Nova 2.1 Terra Nova FL LA.A.2.4 FL LA.A FL LA.D.2.4 FL LA.E.2.4 FL LA.D FL LA.E.1.4 FL LA.E SAT Terra Nova FL LA.B.1.4 FL LA.B FL LA.E Terra Nova Terra Nova FL LA.A FL LA.E Extending Meaning Demonstrate comprehension by drawing conclusions inferring relationships such as cause and effect. judging author purpose The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts. LA.A.2.4 determines the main idea and identifies relevant details, methods of development, and their effectiveness in a variety of types of written material. The student understands the power of language. The student responds critically to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. understands the subtleties of literary devices and techniques in the comprehension and creation of communication. The student understands the common features of a variety of literary forms. LA.E.1.4 analyzes poetry for the ways in which poets inspire the reader to share emotions, such as the use of imagery, personification, and figures of speech, including simile and metaphor; and the use of sound, such as rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and alliteration. Specific Detail effectiveness The student uses writing processes effectively. drafts and revises writing that: is focused, purposeful, and reflects insight into the writing situation; has an organizational pattern that provides for a logical progression of ideas; has effective use of transitional devices that contribute to a sense of completeness; has support that is substantial, specific, relevant, and concrete; demonstrates a commitment to and involvement with the subject; uses creative writing strategies as appropriate to the purposes of the paper; demonstrates a mature command of language with freshness of expression; has varied sentence structure; has few, if any, convention errors in mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling. examines a literary selection from several critical perspectives. character transferring ideas to other situations describes and evaluates personal preferences regarding fiction and nonfiction. knows that people respond differently to texts based on their background knowledge, purpose, and point of view.