Basics
Who is the poet that wrote Little Boy Crying?
Mervyn Morris
How many main characters or speakers are in the poem?
The child and the father
When the father is called an “ogre,” what literary device is being used?
Metaphor
What country is Mervyn Morris from?
Jamaica
Who does the child imagine the father as?
An ogre or giant
What do we call words that create strong pictures/images in our minds?
Imagery
What has just happened to the child at the start of the poem?
The child has been scolded and slapped by his father and begins to cry.
From whose point of view does the poem begin? (Child or Father)
Child's point of view
The “mask” in the poem represents the father's hidden feelings. What literary device is this?
Symbolism
Where does the poem most likely take place?
At home / in a family environment
Does the child understand the father’s true feelings?
No
True or False- The way the poem sounds helps us feel the emotions in the poem.
True
Does the poem have any end rhyme scheme/rhyming words
No, it is free verse. It is written without rhymes as it you are talking naturally to a friend
What lesson does the father believe the child must learn?
Self-control and discipline and that all actions have consequences
Match the following:
Imagery, Metaphor, Symbolism
1. Words that help you see, hear, feel
2. Saying one thing is another thing
3. Something used to mean more