Elements of Poetry
This is a group of lines in a poem that form a unit, similar to a paragraph in prose.
A) Verse
B) Stanza
C) Couplet
D) Line
B) Stanza
In the phrase “the lines of their lives were sewn from a tougher fabric,” what type of figurative language is being used?
A) Simile
B) Metaphor
C) Personification
D) Hyperbole
B) Metaphor
(It compares their lives to fabric without using “like” or “as.”)
Based on the poem’s first stanza (lines 1-8), which of the following selections is most likely true?
A) The speaker’s father was not born in America.
B) The speaker and his friends play a type of softball that is unfamiliar to most people.
C) The speaker’s father would become a better softball player over time.
D) The speaker and his friends invented the game of softball.
A) The speaker’s father was not born in America.
Read the dictionary entry for the word attempted.
1. Tried to do something but may not have completely succeeded.
2. Practiced carefully many times before doing it
3. Began the task and finished it easily without any difficulty
4. Refused to try because it seemed too hard
Which definition most closely matches the way the word attempted is used in line 6?
A) Definition 1
B) Definition 2
C) Definition 3
D) Definition 4
A) Definition 1 - Tried to do something but may not have completely succeeded.
This is the point where one line of poetry ends and the next begins, often used for emphasis or rhythm.
A) Stanza
B) Line Break
C) Couplet
D) Verse
B) Line Break
What does the word “gesture” in the line “a father’s living gesture to his son” most likely symbolize?
A) A physical movement
B) A sign of love and connection
C) A rule or tradition
D) A joke
B) A sign of love and connection
(It represents an act that conveys deeper meaning beyond the literal.)
From the first stanza (lines 1-8) we can also infer that-
A) this is happening in the early evening
B) the speaker and his family live on the street where the game is taking place
C) both A and B
D) neither A nor B
C) both A and B
Read the dictionary entry for the word reveal.
1. To stop remembering or fail to notice something
2. The side of an opening (as for a window) between a frame and the outer surface of a wall
3. To act as if something is true when it is not
4. To make something known or show something that was hidden
Which definition most closely matches the word reveal is used in line 15?
A) Definition 1
B) Definition 2
C) Definition 3
D) Definition 4
D) Definition 4 - To make something known or show something that was hidden
This is the pattern of rhymes at the end of lines in a poem, often shown with letters like AABB or ABAB.
A) Meter
B) Rhyme Scheme
C) Alliteration
D) Rhythm
B) Rhyme Scheme
The phrase “playing even the fool or the clown” is an example of:
A) Alliteration
B) Idiom
C) Imagery
D) Hyperbole
C) Imagery
(It creates a vivid picture of the father acting silly to connect with his son.)
Which inference about the speaker’s father is best supported by the second stanza (lines 9-18)?
A) He became frustrated when he could not learn how to play the game.
B) His attempt to play softball was funny to the kids.
C) He did not know his son very well.
D) He always tried to be tough and show little emotion.
B) His attempt to play softball was funny to the kids.
Read the dictionary entry for the word fabric.
1. The material or cloth that things are made from
2. A structure or building
3. To build or make something
4. The appearance of a pattern formed by shapes
Which definition most closely matches the word fabric is used in line 17?
A) Definition 1
B) Definition 2
C) Definition 3
D) Definition 4
A) Definition 1 - the material or cloth that things are made from
This is when words are used in a creative way to mean something different from their literal meaning, like in similes or metaphors.
A) Literal Language
B) Figurative Language
C) Dialogue
D) Imagery
B) Figurative Language
What feeling does the author convey through the repetition of “Just once” at the beginning?
A) Anger
B) Regret
C) Importance and uniqueness
D) Humor
C) Importance and uniqueness
(It emphasizes that this single event was special and memorable.)
Read lines 14-15 In what way is the father a fool or a clown?
A) The dad is funny
B) The dad fell as he played
C) He must not play baseball very well
D) He was very good at softball
C) He must not play baseball very well
Read the dictionary entry for the word previously.
1. Not often; only on few occasions
2. Acting too soon
3. Going before in time or order
4. Happening all at once, without warning
Which definition most closely matches the word previously used in line 18?
A) Definition 1
B) Definition 2
C) Definition 4
D) Definition 4
C) Definition 3 - Going before in time or order
This is the author’s attitude toward the subject, shown through their word choice and style.
A) Mood
B) Tone
C) Voice
D) Theme
B) Tone
Which figurative language device is used in the phrase “stands out forever in my memory”?
A) Hyperbole
B) Simile
C) Personification
D) Onomatopoeia
A) Hyperbole
(It exaggerates how unforgettable the moment was.)
What does the father do on his way home from work?
A) He joins the softball game the speaker and his friends are playing
B) He asked the speaker to clean his room
C) He went home to have dinner
D) He fixed the car
A) He joins the softball game the speaker and his friends are playing
What does the word fool mean in line 14 and what context clues helped you define the word?
Write your answer on the whiteboard - Be sure to answer both parts of the question.
Fool means silly/funny - bad at the game
The context clues that helped me determine the meaning is the use of the word clown.