Level 1: Starting
What problem does the speaker have at the beginning of the poem?
Sentence starter: At the beginning, the speaker feels __________ because __________.
The speaker feels overwhelmed because other people are telling her what to do.
Why does the speaker move away from the other people’s voices? What does the speaker need?
Sentence starter: The speaker moves away because __________. The speaker needs __________.
The speaker moves away because the voices are making it difficult to think. The speaker needs freedom to make personal choices.
What might the “new voice” mean? How does it connect to the poem’s message?
Sentence starter: The new voice may represent __________. It connects to the message because __________.
The new voice may represent the speaker’s own thoughts and confidence. It connects to the message because the speaker is learning to trust herself instead of always listening to others.
What are the other people trying to make the speaker do?
Sentence starter: The other people want the speaker to __________.
They want the speaker to listen to them and follow their directions instead of making her own choices.
Why does Oliver describe the voices as loud and demanding? How does this help us understand the problem?
Sentence starter: The voices seem __________. This helps me understand that __________.
The voices seem controlling and overwhelming. This helps us understand how much pressure the speaker feels.
Is the speaker brave, making a necessary choice, or both? Explain your answer with a detail from the poem.
Sentence starter: I think the speaker is __________ because __________. One detail that supports my answer is __________.
I think the speaker is both brave and making a necessary choice. The speaker continues the journey even when others try to stop her. This shows courage and a desire to become independent.
What does the journey stand for in the poem?
Sentence starter: The journey stands for __________.
The journey stands for growing as a person, making your own choices, and becoming independent.
How does Oliver use the journey to show that the speaker is growing as a person? Give one detail from the poem.
Sentence starter: The journey represents __________. One detail that shows this is __________.
The journey represents becoming independent. The speaker continues moving forward instead of allowing the other voices to stop her. This shows that the speaker is learning to make her own choices.
What might happen to the speaker if she listened to the other people and stopped the journey?
Sentence starter: If the speaker stopped, she might __________. The poem’s message would change because __________.
The speaker might continue living according to other people’s expectations. The message about trusting yourself and becoming independent would be weaker.
How does the speaker change during the poem?
Sentence starter: At first, the speaker feels __________, but later __________.
At first, the speaker feels overwhelmed by other people. Later, the speaker becomes stronger and more determined to follow her own path.
How does the speaker feel at the beginning compared with the end?
Sentence starter: At the beginning, the speaker feels __________. By the end, the speaker feels __________.
At the beginning, the speaker feels overwhelmed and pressured. By the end, the speaker seems more determined to follow her own path.
What lesson does Oliver teach about making your own choices? Use two details from the poem.
Sentence starter: Oliver teaches us that __________. One detail is __________. Another detail is __________. These details show __________.
Oliver teaches us that we sometimes need to make difficult choices to become independent. One detail is that other voices try to control the speaker. Another is that the speaker continues the journey. These details show that we must sometimes move beyond other people’s expectations to find our own path.