"LaTenya"
Who is LaTenya?
Lonnie's classmate that he has a crush on.
What is this poem mostly about?
Lonnie's writing process and the fact that writing poetry is difficult.
What happened to Eric?
He is in the hospital with sickle cell anemia.
What happens in this poem?
Ms. Marcus is trying to convince the class that poetry can be interesting. Lamont is not having it, and Angel makes a joke out of the example she gives.
How do we know that LaTenya might have a crush on Lonnie?
She watches him play basketball, compliments his eyes, and jokes with him about a missing a shot.
What type of poem is this? How do you know?
Structural because the last two stanzas are shaped like sickle cells.
How does Lamont feel about poetry?
He still thinks it is pointless. He is unenthusiastic.
Does it seem like Lonnie enjoys the attention from LaTenya? Why or why not?
Yes, he shows off a bit when playing basketball, says he thinks "[he] found God," and says that he will have to look at his eyes to see what she sees.
How does Lonnie feel about the news he received about Eric?
He physically feels sick. He is also worried and shocked by the news.
How does Ms. Marcus feel at the end of the poem?
Defeated.
"Swish" in this poem is an example of...
onomatopoeia.
What is Lonnie having a difficult time doing at the end of the poem? How do you know?
He is trying to think of things that make him happy, but can't seem to get the idea of Eric from his head.
"Popsicle / Icicle / Bicycle / Sickle cell" x2
What is Lonnie's favorite type of poetry?
Free Verse
"Mr. Hungry don't care" is an example of...
personification.
How does Lonnie express that writing poetry is difficult?
What does the repetition of "Ms. Marcus says" tell us about Lonnie?
That he is worried and maybe feeling overwhelmed by what Ms. Marcus is telling them.
What two poets does Angel think live on his block?
Hint: they don't.
Langston Hughes and Richard Wright