Fences
The cactus fences primarily symbolize this in Pat Mora's sonnet "Fences"
What are cultural and societal divisions or barriers?
The bird symbolizes this in Sherman Alexie's "Sonnet, With Bird"?
What is community (a bevy)? The quail is a pack animal. Also, it represents the natural world and the speaker's connection to it?
The title "Elliptical" refers to these.
What are the ellipsis points (...)? the punctuation mark that implies an incomplete thought.
This Greek root word means "word," "speech," or "reason."
What is Log?
This acronym helps writers remember the seven coordinating conjunctions used alongside a comma to join two independent clauses.
What is FANBOYS? (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)
The author appeals to these TWO senses with the imagery in the line:
"Mouths full of laughter the turistas come to the tall hotel with suitcases full of dollars."?
What are sight & sound?
The primary theme of "Sonnet, With Bird".
What is the cure for loneliness and grief is companionship with others?
The primary theme explored in "Elliptical" as noted in the text.
What is the destructive power of divisive "Us v. Them" rhetoric?
This root word comes from the Latin word dicere, which means "to say" or "to speak".
What is Dict?
You can connect two closely related independent clauses without using any coordinating conjunction if you use this single punctuation mark between them.
What is a semicolon?
The main theme/message of "Fences"
What is economic inequality can create outsiders and outcasts of native/indigenous people?
Explain the meaning of the final sections (or couplet) of "Sonnet, With Bird"
"A gathering of quail is called a bevy. A gathering of Indians is called a tribe. When quails speak, they call it a song. When Indians sing, the air is heavy with grief. When quails grieve, they lie down next to their dead. When Indians die, the quail speaks" (Alexie 215)
What is grief, like loneliness, is best overcome with the help of others rather than in isolation?
The purpose/function of the ellipses (...) in "Elliptical"
What is they leave thoughts incomplete and invite the reader to fill in the blanks? It highlights that specifics aren't important— the way we talk about each other remains the focus.
This word from a target root family means to speak against or say the opposite of what someone else said
What is contradict?
This common error occurs when a writer joins two independent clauses with only a comma and forgets the coordinating conjunction.
What is a comma splice?
In "Fences," the narrator primarily adopts this perspective / point of view.
What is that of an outsider/outcast; an observer in the third-person?
The narrator is travelling to this city to promote his first internationally published book.
What is London?
An adjective that best describes the narrators attitude toweards "Them" in "Elliptical?"
Judgmental, condescending, disrespectful, superior
This word from a target root family means a conversation between two or more people.
What is a dialogue?
Words like "however," "therefore," and "meanwhile" belong to this grammatical category, requiring a semicolon before them and a comma after them when linking two main clauses.
What are conjunctive adverbs?
Identify BOTH figurative language devices used in the line "My mother roared like the ocean".
explain briefly how it contributes to the theme/meaning.
Hyperbole and simile (the comparison emphasizes intensity of the mother's voice/anger).
The tone of "Sonnet, With Bird"
What is lonely, sorrowful, nostalgic, or grateful?
Offer a short explanation (1–2 sentences) for how the punctuation (ellipses) reinforces the poem’s theme of social division.
What is the ellipses imply omissions and distance, mirroring unequal or incomplete relationships between groups.
This suffix, which means "the study of" or "the science of", is closely related one of our root words.
What is "ology".
ie. Sociology.
Every compound sentence must contain at least two of these structural units, each composed of a subject and a verb that can stand alone as a complete thought.
What are independent (or main) clauses?