Part 1
What state was Jacqueline born in?
Ohio
What is wrong with Grandpa Gunnar’s health?
He is coughing a lot/having trouble breathing.
In the poem, "Because We're Witnesses," how does being a Jehovah's Witness affect Jacqueline?
She cannot celebrate holidays or vote/fight.
In the poem John’s Bargain Store, why didn’t Jacqueline want to shop at Woolworth’s?
The Woolworth’s store in Greenville wouldn’t allow African Americans to eat at the lunch counter.
In the poem Fate & Faith & Reasons, which of the following is one of the things that Jacqueline’s mother believes in?
Her children, the resurrection, and Brooklyn.
What is happening in U.S. society at the time of Jacqueline's birth?
The Civil Rights Movement
Why was Momma’s high school burned down?
Students were being punished by racists for participating in a march.
In the poem Mrs. Hughe’s House, why must the children go to Mrs. Hughe's house when visiting Grandma and Grandpa?
Grandpa Gunnar is too sick to watch the kids and Grandma must work two jobs to support the family.
In the poem Afros, what was, “so completely one hundred percent unfair”?
Everyone is allowed to wear their hair in an afro except the children.
In the poem Power to the People, what was the name of the activist that Jacqueline and Maria are inspired by?
Angela Davis
Why did Jacqueline’s father dislike going to the South?
He did not want to be poorly mistreated because of his skin color.
In the poem Roman, how does Jacqueline feel now that she has a new sibling?
Jealous because she is no longer the baby of the family.
What is one major difference between Jacqueline and her sister?
Odella does well in school, and Jacqueline struggles.
In the poem Music, what was Mother’s number one rule about listening to music?
You can’t listen to any song with the word “funk” in it.
In the poem Every Wish, One Dream, what is Jacqueline’s wish/dream?
To become a writer.
Identify the type of literary device in the following line, “The hiss of the iron.”
Onomatopoeia
Identify the type of literary device in the following line, “A front porch swing thirsty for oil.”
Personification
Identify the type of literary device in the following line, “Greenville with its separate ways growing small behind us.”
Oxymoron
Identify the type of literary device in the following line, “The South, his Kryptonite.”
Allusion or Metaphor
Identify the type of literary device in the following line, “Let the bible become your sword and your shield.”
Metaphor
Read the following quote from the poem The Ghosts of the Nelsonville House: “Look closely. There I am in the furrow of Jack’s brow, in the slyness of Alicia’s smile, in the bend of Grace’s hand . . . There I am . . . Beginning.” What is the main idea of this quote?
Jacqueline notices the similarities between her and her family.
In the poem Our Names, the names The Grandchildren, Gunnar’s Three Little One’s, Sister Irby’s Grands, and MaryAnn’s Babies are mentioned. What are these names referring to?
Jacqueline and her siblings.
What is the meaning of the title of the poem Home Then Home Again?
The title refers to Greenville and New York as Jacqueline's homes.
Read the following lines from the poem Composition Notebook: “And even though she’s smarter than anything, this is something my sister can’t even begin to understand.” What is the author trying to say in these lines of the poem?
Being smart doesn't mean you understand everything, such as how people feel.
Each World
When there are many worlds
you can choose the one
you walk into each day.
You can imagine yourself brilliant as your sister,
slower moving, quiet and thoughtful as your older brother
or filled up with the hiccupping joy and laughter
of the baby in the family.
You can imagine yourself a mother now, climbing
onto a bus at nightfall, turning
to wave good-bye to your children, watching
the world of South Carolina disappear behind you.
When there are many worlds, love can wrap itself
around you, say, Don’t cry. Say, You are as good as anyone.
Say, Keep remembering me. And you know, even as the
world explodes
around you—that you are loved . . .
Each day a new world
opens itself up to you. And all the worlds you are—
Ohio and Greenville
Woodson and Irby
Gunnar’s child and Jack’s daughter
Jehovah’s Witness and nonbeliever
listener and writer
Jackie and Jacqueline—
gather into one world
called You
where You decide
what each world
and each story
and each ending
will finally be.
What is the main idea of this poem?
Through her writing, Jacqueline is able to do anything or be anyone.