Renaissance
This poet became one of the leading voices of the Harlem Renaissance.
Who is Langston Hughes?
He won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize award four times.
Who is Robert Frost?
Although she wrote nearly 1,800 poems, only a handful were published during her lifetime.
Who is Emily Dickinson?
This poet served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003.
Who is Billy Collins?
His experiences during "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland influenced much of his work.
Who is Seamus Heaney?
The entire poem "Mother to Son" is built around an extended metaphor where the mother compares her difficult life journey to climbing one of these.
What is a staircase?
In the final stanza, the poet changes his description of the road from "grassy" to "the one less traveled by." This shift transforms the road into a metaphor for choosing this type of lifestyle.
What is non-conformity? (Accept: unique path, individuality, or independence).
This poet uses a direct metaphor to compare public, famous people ("Somebody") to this loud, swamp-dwelling amphibian.
What is a frog?
In "The Names," the poet writes, "Names silent on slate and stone." The repetition of the starting "s" sounds provides a clear example of this technique.
What is alliteration?
In the line, "The spade sinking into gravelly ground," this poet strings together identical initial letters, utilizing this device.
What is alliteration?
What is "Mother to Son"?
One of the world's most popular poems.
What is "The Road Not Taken"?
This poem could be used to mock famous "influencers".
What is "I'm Nobody! Who are You?"?
This poem describes a very perceptive child.
This poem uses multiple sound devices.
To emphasize that her life hasn't been easy, the mother uses tactile imagery by listing these sharp, painful construction items left on the steps.
What are tacks? (Accept: splinters / torn-up boards).
In the opening line, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," the "yellow wood" provides visual imagery that clues the reader into this specific season of the year.
What is autumn (or fall)?
When this poet writes, "To tell your name—the livelong June— / To an admiring Bog!", the "admiring Bog" is a visual and tactile metaphor for this group of people.
What is the public? (Accept: a crowd, society, or fans).
In "On Turning 10," this poet uses a metaphor to describe a bicycle as a "revolving wheel of fire," which symbolizes the fast, burning magic of this phase of life.
What is childhood?
At the end of the poem, the poet uses a metaphor to state that instead of a spade, he will use this tool to dig into his family's history.
What is a pen?
The mother explicitly warns her son not to do this physical action on the steps, which serves as a symbol for giving up when life gets difficult.
What is sit down? (Accept: "turn back" or "fall now").
Look closely at the vowel sounds in this line: "Because it was grassy and wanted wear." The repetition of the open internal vowel sounds creates this specific audio effect. DOUBLE JEOPARDY
What is assonance?
In this poem, being a "Nobody" is a positive symbol that represents the beauty of keeping this asset in a loud world.
What is privacy? (Accept: humility, anonymity, or true self-worth).
At the end of "On Turning 10," the speaker looks at his skin and says, "if I cut myself I will bleed." This tactile and visual imagery serves as a symbol for entering this harsh reality of life.
What is mortality? (Accept: growing up, vulnerability, or aging).
The act of "digging" up potatoes or turf is a central symbol for what the poet is trying to do creatively as a writer. This is what he is digging for.
What is his roots? (Accept: family history, identity, or cultural heritage).