Segment 1
All poems in this segment are available to read, or to listen to in the "Featured Resources" section to the right.

Reading Comprehension

Read the following poems on the Writer's Almanac Web site. After you have read them, answer the questions below.

"Riding Lesson" by Henry Taylor
"The Lesson" by Edward Lucie-Smith
"What Happened When Bobby Jack Cockrum..." by David Lee
"Latin" by Anonymous

Answer the following questions:


1. Two lessons are identified in "Riding Lesson." What are these lessons?
   
   
2. How do animals act as teachers in "Riding Lesson" and "What Happened..."?
   
   
3. In "Latin" why does the narrator consider the dead lucky?
   
   
4. In "The Lesson" what does the line "Could bind the bully's fist for a week or two;" suggest about the narrator's experience in school?
   
   
5. In "The Lesson" what lesson does the title refer to?
   
   

Answer key

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Listening Comprehension

Listen to the following poems from the Writer's Almanac Web site. After you have read them, answer the questions below.

"Alphabet" by R.T. Smith
"Criss Cross Apple Sauce," by Thomas Lux
"In Second Grade Miss Lee I Promised Never to Forget You And I Never Did," by Alberto Rios

Answer the following questions:


1. In "Alphabet" identify four objects described by the narrator.
   
   
2. Which line in "Alphabet" suggests the narrator's motivation for working on his letters for an hour?
   
   
3. In "Latin" why does the narrator consider the dead lucky?
   
   
4. What is the 'letting-go moment' described in "In Second Grade Miss Lee..."?
   
   
5. In "The Lesson" what lesson does the title refer to?
   
   

Answer key

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Critical Thinking

Read the following poems on the Writer's Almanac Web site. After you have read them, answer the questions below.

"To David, About His Education" by Howard Nemerov
"First Lesson" by Philip Booth
"The Summer-Camp Bus Pulls Away from the Curb" by Sharon Olds

Answer the following questions:


1. What does the author's tone in "To David, About His Education" suggest about his attitudes toward formal education?
   
   
2. Parents are the narrators of "First Lesson" and "The Summer-Camp Bus" Which parent is more hopeful for their child, and why? Which parent is not? What lines in each poem lead you to these conclusions?
   
   
3. Identify some examples of the absurd in "To David, About His Education." What does the author suggest through these examples.
   
   
4. How does the final image in each poem reflect the parents' assumptions and impact the poems' statements?
   
   

Answer key

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Research Challenges

Read the following poems on the Writer's Almanac Web site. After you have read them, answer the questions below.

"The History Teacher" by Billy Collins
"History Books" by Thomas Lux

Answer the following questions:


1. Find "The History Teacher" by Billy Collins on the Writer's Almanac website. Research the historical allusions in the poem, and explain their ironic interpretation and use in the poem.
   
   
2. Return to Question 3 in the Critical Thinking portion. In "To David, About His Education," who is Byron? What are Plato's Republic and the Diet of Worms? Explain the absurd juxtapositions in each line.
   
   
3. Research biographical information about Howard Nemerov, Sharon Olds, and Philip Booth. Identify incidents/experiences in the poets' lives that may be reflected in the poems you read.
   
   
4. Find other poems by Sharon Olds and explain the challenges of childhood she explores in her work.
   
   
5. Locate the poem "History Books" by Thomas Lux. Compare his view of war to those of Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Steven Crane.
   
   

Answer key

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Key Terms and Topics

Terms

Answer key

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