A Psalm of Life by Longfellow
What is 'people should live actively and work hard to create meaningful lives'?
the main theme or message
What is the author's purpose?
To show how enslaved people were deliberately kept ignorant
What is "Life is real! Life is earnest!" and "leave behind us/Footprints on the sands of time"?
two phrases that support the theme
Give once sentence that supports the author's purpose.
"By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs..."
"I was not allowed to ask my master questions about it."
What distinction does the author emphasize by contrasting "an empty dream" with "Life is real! Life is earnest!"?
imagination vs. reality
What is the meaning of impertinent as used in the text?
rude or disrespectful
What does the phrase "footprints on the sands of time" suggest?
People can leave lasting positive influences on others.
Give two words that have a more negative connotative meaning for the word improper.
offensive & disrespectful
What two words best describe the author's tone in the passage?
encouraging, reflective
What is the text structure that describes the organization of the first two paragraphs?
comparison & contrast