Page numbers might be incorrect. Poems should be near the page numbers listed.

ygUDuh (pg.10)
by E. E. Cummings.

Read this poem silently, then read it aloud.
1. Does it make more sense when it's read aloud? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think this poem was written this way?
3. Explain the spacing of this poem.
4. Why does the presentation of the poem contribute to a sense of irony?
5. Write a paragraph (about 5-6 sentences) that develops a "story" around this poem.

Is My Team Ploughing (pg. 9)
by A. E. Housman

1. How many people are "speaking" in this poem?
2. What is unusual about one of the speakers? How do you know?
3. In simple terms, what are the questions asked by one speaker?
4. What tone is offered in the reply?
5. Are the words of the message and the tone consistent? Why or why not?
6. What has the second speaker done since the departure of the first speaker?
7. Based on this poem, what would you say about the poet's personality? What is his message about mortality?
8. Read "When I Was One and Twenty" (pg. 12) by the same author. Does this poem support your first impression of the poet's personality? Use examples to support your answer.

Jabberwocky (pg. 6)
by Lewis Carroll

This poem is full of words that you are most likely unfamiliar with. Nevertheless, it is still an effectively communicated poem. Make sure you do the following questions in order.

1. Paraphrase the events of each stanza using your own words. You do not need a 1-1 ratio of your words to Carroll's, but try to capture the message of each stanza.
2. Underline all the words you are not familiar with in this poem.
3. Look up all the words you are unsure of, and provide definitions.
4. Look up the word "onomatopoeia" on page 2 of your booklet. How does this word tie in to this poem?
5. How does the poet manage to create an effective poem with so many non-words?
6. Draw and colour an illustration to describe this poem. On the back of your illustration, provide a write-up explaining your artistic decisions. (This will be handed in.)

FOR WANT OF A NAIL (pg. 8)

1. What literary device is used in this poem?
2. How does the use of that literary device contribute to the telling of the message?
3. What message is the poet trying to get across to the reader? Why is this an important message for students in Mr. Bennett's English course?

The Road Not Taken (pg. 12)
by Robert Frost

1. What dilemma does the poet face in the opening stanza?
2. Does one road seem to be more appealing than the other? Use examples from the poem to support your answer.
3. What point is Frost making about the nature of the situation he finds himself in (consider lines 14-15)?
4. Why do you think the final stanza start with a sigh?
5. Write down in a sentence or two expressing what you think the poet is trying to say. Begin your sentences: "I feel/ I think the author is trying to say…"
6. Would Robert Frost and O. Henry ("The Roads We Take") share similar philosophies about important decisions? Explain your position, using examples from each piece of literature

LITERACY (pg. 8)
by Matthew Dale

1. This is a poem that one must view in order to appreciate. In a well-written paragraph, explain why seeing this poem is essential to the poetry. (HINT: consider the title of the poem when answering.)

Quote on (pg. 8).
by Paul Valery

1. Explain the significance of this quote. Think back to our discussions on short stories when answering this question. Your response should be at least 5-6 sentences long.

40-Love (pg.9)
by Roger McGough
(This poem has been published in other texts in the traditional black on white format)

1. The title of this poem has two distinct meanings. What are they?
2. Explain the presence of the line in the middle of the poem.
3. How is it possible that a net will "still be between them"?
4. Look carefully at the positioning of the words in this poem. What happens to the reader's eyes as the poem is read?
5. How does the effect mentioned in question 4 tie into both meanings of the poem?

Ambition (pg. 4)
by Morris Bishop

1. What is "7X-3824"?
2. Why is 7X-3824 a source of vexation for the speaker?
3. What happened at the end of the poem?
4. Is it possible that the episode described here could be a metaphor for a bigger issue?
· If so what issues could this episode also describe?
· If not, what makes this experience unique to this episode only?
5. Why do you think the poet called this poem "Ambition"? Do you feel it is an appropriate title?
· If so, why?
· If not, explain what you think would be a better title.

Five Ways to Kill a Man (pg 12)
by Edwin Brock

1. For each of the first four stanzas, state specifically what is being described. Use examples from the poem to support your answers.
2. Why are these methods considered cumbersome?
3. Why is the suggestion in the fifth stanza simpler?
4. What message do you think the poet is trying to get across in the fifth stanza? Use examples to support your opinion.

5. Do you agree with Mr. Brock's opinion of human nature and the twentieth century? Write a full page, single spaced response to the following question;
Did people do more good or harm in the 20th century?

Rhymes For A Modern Nursery (pg.13)
"Two Blind Mice"
"Clementine"
"Jack and Jill"

1. Explain what issue has been addressed in each poem.
2. Has the poet created original work? Explain.
3. Look up the definition of 'satire' in your dictionary and write it down. Do these poems fit the description? Explain.
4. Read "A Sovereign Nation" and "Epitaph on the Politician" on the same page. Do they also fit the description of satire? Defend your decision.

The Soldier (14)
by Rupert Brooke

2. Where is the soldier?
3. Where is he from?
4. What is his opinion of his homeland? Explain using examples.
5. This poem was almost called "The Recruit". Would this have been a better name for the poem? Why or why not?
6. This poem is a sonnet, but an unconventional one. Explain (use the notes on the front page of your poetry booklets for assistance.

HONEYBEES (pg. 7)
by Paul Fleischman

1. Why is it important for this story to be read by two people?
2. Does this poem make you re-think the simplicity of life for "lesser beings"? Why or why not?
3. What is the message the poet wishes to present? How does it relate to us?

POINT SCORED (pg. 7)
by C. Cardenas Dwyer

1. Why is the visual aspect of this poem essential?
2. Look carefully as the placement and selection of the words in this poem. Explain why the choice of words as well as the positioning of the words is important in getting the message across.

CLASS (pg. 8)
by John Chun

1. Why is the positioning of the icons in this story significant?
2. What does each icon represent?
3. Is there significance to the fact that the poet has labelled himself in the poem? What might the significance be?
4. Since his icon is not the same as any other, what might he be doing?
5. This poem uses only two words, but still remains effective. Why?

1. In a couple of sentences, explain what has happened by the end of this poem.
2. How do you think Nowlan feels about capital punishment?
3. Does this scenario seem possible?
If so, explain.
If not, what is the value of this example?

1. What has the poet compared reading a poem to? Pick out the words you feel support your answer.
2. Is this a good analogy? Why or why not?
3. Look carefully at lines 4-8. What sort of approach does the Poet think readers should take with poetry? Do you agree? Why?

1. Why do the poet and her brother need to "pray now"?
2. Based on the poem, describe the poet.
3. The biographical information below the poem helps provide context for the poem, but the poem successfully leads the reader to those, or similar, conclusions anyway. Explain.

Waiter!…There's an Alligator in my Coffee (pg.13)
by Joe Rosenblatt

1. What is the tone of the response to the outrageous claim made in the first line?
2. What various suggestions are offered to solve the coffee drinker's situation? State the suggestion and the line it is found on.
3. What genre of poetry would this poem fall under? Check your terms on the front pages of the poetry booklet and explain your choice.

The Eagle (pg.13)
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1. Discuss the use of imaginative language. Cite the dynamic word uses and explain how they benefit the poem.
2. The opening line of this poem has a repetition of the hard 'c' sound. What is this literary effect called?
3. How does the literary device described in the previous question increase the reader's appreciation of the story?

BACK