Poetic Devices (aligns to RL.8.4, RL.8.5)
Identify the speaker's point of view in "The Joy of Flying" and name the narrative perspective (first, second, third)
First person (speaker = pilot) — text uses "I".
What does "untrammeled" mean in line 22? Use context to support your answer.
untrammeled = unlimited/unrestricted.
What is a shared theme betweem the two peoms. Provide a line number from each poem.
"In 'The Joy of Flying,' the speaker finds escape and beauty in flight (lines 20–25). In 'An Exile's Song,' the speaker endures exile by clinging to the memory of a loved one (lines 13–20). Shared theme: longing for freedom/belonging."
What perspective is being taken in the Joy of Flying Poem? Give an example to support your answer.
That of a bird.
These flashing wings,
I cleave the skies.
With a seagulls skill endowed.
In Exhile's Song, what type of figurative language is being used in the line:
Line 13 I could not live did I not know.
Hyperbole
What poetic device is used when the speaker is compared to a seagull? Explain how it contributes to meaning
Simile (or metaphor depending on wording); comparison to seagull conveys skill/limitlessness.
Define solace as used in line 3 of "The Joy of Flying." Provide a short example sentence showing the same meaning.
solace = relief/comfort . Example sentence: "She found solace in music."
Which lines from "An Exile's Song" most directly support the theme of steadfast love? Quote and explain.
Steadfast love: lines 13–14 ("I could not live, did I not know That thou art ever true to me,")
In Exhile's Song why might the person be away from their family?
Committed a crime.
A Prisoner.
What tone is suggested in the poem Joy of Flying in the last line
That I float on a-wondering!
Excitement
Point out an example of imagery in lines 29–36 and explain which senses it appeals to.
Example: "Above the water-meadows green / Whose streams...Like silver lattice-work are seen" appeals to sight.
Multiple
In "An Exile's Song," what does the phrase "days are dark" (line 3) most nearly mean? Support with one line of text.
"days are dark" = unrelenting sadness.
Which single line best supports the theme that flight offers escape in "The Joy of Flying"? Quote it and explain in one sentence.
Example support: "In joy that on these flashing wings I cleave the skies" (lines 20–21).
Compare the speakers of the two poems in one sentence: how do their emotions toward distance differ?
Emotions differ: flight speaker is liberated; exile speaker is longing/sad.
What are words that the author used to convey tone and mood in both poems?
Joy of Flying- soar, bliss, boundless
Exile - dreary, prisoned lark, days are dark, woe
Identify the stanza where the poem shifts from critique of people below to celebration of flight. What structural device signals the shift?
Line 19 ("Soon their existence I forget,") signals the turn; stanza/line break marks movement.
Explain the connotation of "that little stain of red and brown" (lines 11–12) and what it suggests about the speaker’s attitude.
"that little stain..." connotes insignificance and contempt
Or a strong dislike or hatred.
Provide two pieces of textual evidence from "The Joy of Flying" that show the speaker feels superior to people on the ground. Cite line ranges.
Superior evidence: lines 9–12 and 15–18 (town = "little stain"; "Like ants...")
How does the speaker’s perspective of people on the ground differ from the townspeople’s likely perspective in "The Joy of Flying"? Support with a line or phrase.
Speaker views town as petty ("little stain..."); townspeople view it as important (lines 11–12).
Identify an extended metaphor or repeated image in either poem and explain how it develops tone across the poem.
Extended image: birds/flight imagery shows freedom; ants image emphasizes smallness/insignificance
Explain how stanza breaks and line length in "The Joy of Flying" help develop the poem’s theme of escape.
Stanzas separate critique and celebration; longer descriptive lines in flight scenes create expansiveness.
Choose two words from either poem (e.g., "feverish" and "dreary") and explain how their roots or affixes help you determine their meanings (use L.8.4/L.8.5 reasoning).
Word roots/affixes: "feverish" -> intense, "dreary" -> sad/gloomy
In a two-sentence summary that identify the central idea of one of the poems.
"In 'The Joy of Flying,' the speaker finds escape and beauty in flight (lines 20–25). In 'An Exile's Song,' the speaker endures exile by clinging to the memory of a loved one (lines 13–20). Shared theme: longing for freedom/belonging."
Analyze how each poet’s purpose (why they wrote the poem) shapes the speaker’s tone. Use at least one quotation from each poem to support your answer
Poets' purposes: Bewsher celebrates freedom; Murray expresses longing—tone follows
In "The Joy of Flying," what is the effect of comparing human movement to ants (lines 15–18)? Explain how this choice affects the speaker’s tone.
Ants simile creates disdainful, distancing tone.
Ants are small and thought of as not important or insignificant.