Themes & Big Ideas
When analyzing the theme of social injustice in America (I'm Putting My Queer Shoulder to the Wheel), which community/minority group is targeted?
The 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Which literary device is used in the line "a limbo of limbs?"
Alliteration
Which US election is referenced in the America (I'm Putting My Queer Shoulder to the Wheel)?
2020 US Election
What is the theme in the poem If You Could See Me You Would See?
Desiring Recognition For Your Authentic Self (wanting to be seen for who you really are)
Which literary device is used in the line “The night America took off her mask?”
Personification
What is the name of the person who has a poem that alludes to America (I'm Putting My Queer Shoulder to the Wheel)?
Allen Ginsberg
Which of these lines is evidence of wanting your true self to be seen in If You Could See Me You Would See?
“If you could actually see me”
“You would see shameless femininity”
“Instead what you see is not me”
All of the above
Which literary device is used in the line “I let myself be a foggy pile of indeterminate me?”
Metaphor
How does the structure of the poem If You Could See Me You Would See relate to the structure of the poem What is a Body if Not?
Both poems use anaphora to provide emphasis.
What were the 2 themes we analyzed in America (I'm Putting My Queer Shoulder to the Wheel)?
- Personal Growth
- Social Injustice
What were the 3 shades of blue mentioned in the motif we analyzed in America (I'm Putting My Queer Shoulder to the Wheel)?
Blue, cerulean, and sapphire.
Which poem does this line connect to "I let my body fold and unfold?"
Origa/Me
"I'm not sure I can fold myself any smaller than this"
Which of these lines is evidence of personal growth in America (I'm Putting My Queer Shoulder to the Wheel)?
“I would stand as tall as her and scream back”
“I dipped my head in cerulean dye and felt mortality”
“queerly small and queerly quiet”
“I would stand as tall as her and scream back”
What is the meaning of the metaphor "a double-pane window" in If You Could See Me You Would See?
The speaker's dual nature, combining aspects of their old, masculine self with their new, feminine identity.
What metaphor do these lines have in common?
"The door in the uneven frame is slouching."
"a double-pane window with the inward pane broken."
The poems both use metaphors relating to imperfect furniture.