Figurative Language in Poetry
Theme
Root Words
Make Inferences
100
Sketch By Carl Sandburg The shadows of the ships Rock on the crest In the low blue lustre Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide. A long brown bar at the dip of the sky Puts an arm of sand in the span of salt. The lucid and endless wrinkles Draw in, lapse and withdraw. Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles Wash on the floor of the beach. Rocking on the crest In the low blue lustre Are the shadows of the ships. Identify an example of personification: explain what is being personified how.
The tide is described as being "tardy" The sand is described as haing an "arm" The wrinkles
100
What is the theme of this story? Tim hated his old baseball glove. He wanted to play with a new glove, but he didn’t have any money, so he decided to steal it. But when Tim got caught stealing the glove, his parents said he couldn’t play baseball all summer.
If you want something, you should work for it instead of just taking the easy way out.
100
What is zoology?
The study of animals
100
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, “There, there, Max. We’ll just find something else to do.” She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, “I don’t wanna sand-mich!” A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed. Why was Max upset and how do you know this?
Max was upset because it was raining and he wanted to fly a kite. You know this because the text says "Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob."
200
Sketch By Carl Sandburg The shadows of the ships Rock on the crest In the low blue lustre Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide. A long brown bar at the dip of the sky Puts an arm of sand in the span of salt. The lucid and endless wrinkles Draw in, lapse and withdraw. Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles Wash on the floor of the beach. Rocking on the crest In the low blue lustre Are the shadows of the ships. Find two separate examples of alliteration.
Shadows, ships Low, lustre Brown, bar Sand, span, salt Wrinkles, withdraw, wavelets, white, wash
200
What is the theme of the story? Jenny Puchovier was so excited. She had a pack of Starburst in her lunch and she had been looking forward to eating them all morning. Lunch finally came and Jenny sat down to eat her Starbursts when her friend Yudy sat next to her. “Let me get the pink ones,” asked Yudy. Jenny liked the pink ones best, but she thought Yudy was funny and Jenny wanted Yudy to like her, so Jenny gave Yudy all of her pink Starbursts. Before Jenny was done giving Yudy the pink ones, Carrie sat on the other side of Jenny. “Let me get the red and the orange ones, Jenny. Remember when I gave you that Snickers?” Jenny didn’t remember that, though she did remember when Carrie ate a whole Snickers in front of her, but Jenny thought Carrie was cool, so she gave her the red and the orange Starbursts. Now that she only had the yellow ones, Jenny wasn’t so excited about eating starbursts anymore.
You can’t buy friends. You have to take care of yourself. Not everybody is your friend.
200
What does "astrologist" mean?
One who studies the stars
200
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, “There, there, Max. We’ll just find something else to do.” She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, “I don’t wanna sand-mich!” A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed. What was mom planning on doing today? What from the text supports that description?
Mom was going to have a picnic, you know this because "she began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter"
300
Sketch By Carl Sandburg The shadows of the ships Rock on the crest In the low blue lustre Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide. A long brown bar at the dip of the sky Puts an arm of sand in the span of salt. The lucid and endless wrinkles Draw in, lapse and withdraw. Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles Wash on the floor of the beach. Rocking on the crest In the low blue lustre Are the shadows of the ships. Identify an example of metaphor: explain which two things are being compared.
The ocean is implicitly compared to a "span of salt." The waves are compared to wrinkles. The waves are compared to something that crumbles.
300
What is the theme of the story? Once there was a mean little boy who lived in a small village. This mean little boy loved to mess with people, so one day he ran up to a sheep herder and shouted, “WOLF! WOLF! A wolf is attacking the town!” The sheep herder grabbed his staff and ran to defend the town, but realized he had been fooled when the boy started pointing and laughing at him. “Ha ha! I made you jump,” said the boy. Then the boy ran up to a farmer and shouted, “WOLF! WOLF! A wolf is attacking the town!” The farmer grabbed his pitchfork and ran to defend the town, but when the boy started pointing and laughing at him, he realized he had been tricked. As the boy went back to his family’s farm laughing about the funny trick he played, he saw a real wolf in his father’s chicken coop. As the wolf ate all of his father’s chickens, the boy screamed over and over again, “WOLF! WOLF! Please help us!” But nobody came to help him.
Don’t ask for help unless you really need it. Don’t play tricks on the people around you.
300
What does it mean to verify something?
To make sure something is true.
300
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said. What type of job does Paul work and how do you know this?
He is probably a construction worker because he wears "muddy boots" and "dusty overalls"
400
Sketch By Carl Sandburg The shadows of the ships Rock on the crest In the low blue lustre Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide. A long brown bar at the dip of the sky Puts an arm of sand in the span of salt. The lucid and endless wrinkles Draw in, lapse and withdraw. Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles Wash on the floor of the beach. Rocking on the crest In the low blue lustre Are the shadows of the ships. Where is refrain used in this poem? Why do you think that it is used this way?
The shadows of the ships Rock on the crest In the low blue lustre It may represent the reoccuring sounds of the tide, or a reflection in the water.
400
What is the theme of the story? Angie loved to draw. She made colorful designs of people’s names with bright hearts & flowers, but she lost own markers, so she borrowed her teacher’s. The school day was ending, but Angie wanted to keep coloring, so she took the teacher’s markers home and lost them in her messy room. She came back to school the next day and wanted to color again, so she asked the teacher for more markers. The teacher replied, “Sure, Angie, but this is my last pack.” Angie said she would be careful, but by the end of the day the markers were scattered all over the floor and the custodian swept them up and disposed of them. When Angie came in the next day, she asked the teacher for more markers, but she was disappointed to find that there weren’t any more. “I don’t know where all of my markers went,” said the teacher, “but I don’t have them.” Angie had to draw her pictures with drab pencils.
Take care of shared resources. Some things will not replenish after they are exhausted.
400
What is a "phonograph"?
A device that transcribes or writes what you say.
400
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said. Describe Alice using text evidence to support your description.
Alice is a clean freak and also very proper. She won't eat with Paul unless he looks "presentable" and she won't let him in her house until he takes off his dirty clothes and puts them in a plastic bag.
500
Sketch By Carl Sandburg The shadows of the ships Rock on the crest In the low blue lustre Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide. A long brown bar at the dip of the sky Puts an arm of sand in the span of salt. The lucid and endless wrinkles Draw in, lapse and withdraw. Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles Wash on the floor of the beach. Rocking on the crest In the low blue lustre Are the shadows of the ships. What is the mood of this poem? How does it make you feel?
Possible answers include calm, peaceful, tranquil
500
What is the theme of the story? Jenny hated reading class. She didn’t understand point of view or figurative language, and not knowing how to do the work frustrated her. She asked the teacher for help, but he spoke so fast and used such big words that she still couldn’t understand. The teacher asked if she understood, and she nodded her head, but she didn’t. Jenny’s friend Katie knew that Jenny was having trouble, and, rather than just giving Jenny all of the answers, Katie explained to Jenny how to solve the problems. Katie spoke clearly and at Jenny’s level, and Jenny was happy that she finally learned how to do the work. Later in the week, Katie was having trouble in math class. She didn’t understand coordinates and was really frustrated. Seeing that Katie was having problems, Jenny, who understood math very well, taught Katie coordinates. Both girls made honor roll that quarter.
Cooperation is the key to success. We can all do better when we work together.
500
What is "philanthropy?"
It literally means to love the human race. It is another word for charity.
500
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said. What relationship do Paul and Alice have and why do you feel this way?
Paul and Alice are probably married and she probably stays at home working hard to keep the house clean and doesn't want it ruined when Paul comes home from work. Alice could also be Paul's mother.