"Identity"

1. PART A: What figurative language is used in lines 5-6 of "Identity"? (L.7.5)

• Personification

• Hyperbole

• Simile

• Idiom

2. PART B: What effect does the figurative language in Part A have on the meaning of the stanza? (RL.7.4)

• It shows the speaker’s thought that birds are beautiful creatures.

• It shows the speaker’s belief that weeds and eagles are basically the same.

• It shows the speaker’s desire to be free to do as she/he/they pleases.

• It shows the speaker’s longing to be like everyone else.

Reread the fourth stanza:

I'd rather be unseen, and if

Then shunned by everyone,

Than to be a pleasant-smelling flower,

Growing in clusters in the fertile valley,

Where they're praised, handled, and plucked

By greedy, human hand

Part A: What is the meaning of the word shunned as it is used in the fourth stanza? (L7.4)

• enjoyed

• avoided

• supported

• angered

. . Part B: Which quotation best help the reader determine the meaning of shunned? (L7.4)

• “By greedy, human hand”

• “Than to be a pleasant-smelling flower”

• “Growing in clusters”

• “I'd rather be unseen”

What idea does the author convey with the lines “Let them be as flowers,/Always watered, fed, guarded,

admired,/ But harnessed to a pot of dirt “? (RL.7.4)

• Most people enjoy gardening and growing flowers.

• It is better to be held to other people’s standards than to be free to live as one wants.

• Being popular can trap people into a particular way of life.

• People succeed where they are most comfortable. .

How are a weed and the eagle similar in the poem? (RL. 7.3)

• Neither of them are bound to one particular area.

• Both live only in places high above the sea.

• Neither of them are sure of their importance in the world.

• Both of them lack confidence in their abilities.

PART A: Which of the following identifies the theme of the poem?

• People often fear those who choose not to conform to the majority.

• It is much easier to be true to yourself than to conform to what others expect.

• Being different can be isolating, but it leads to true independence and happiness.

• People who must overcome difficult circumstances are often stronger.

PART B: Which detail from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?

• “always watered, fed, guarded, admired” (Line 2)

• “beyond the mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre.” (Line 12)

• “where they're praised, handled, and plucked” (Line 17)

• . “If I could stand alone, strong and free” (Line 21)

PART A: How does the poet’s description of the weed in stanzas 2 and 3 contribute to the meaning of the

poem? (RL 7.4)

• It emphasizes the wild nature of the weed, which shows the thrill of uncontrolled freedom.

• It portrays the weed as dangerous to the other flowers, which explains why the weed is isolated

• It portrays the weed as angry that it is unwanted, and this emphasizes the pain of isolation.

• It presents the weed as quietly beautiful, and this challenges traditional ideas of beauty.

PART B: Which section from the poem best supports the answer to Part A? (RL 7.1)

• “but harnessed to a pot of dirt.” (Line 3)

• “to live, to feel exposed to the madness” (Line 8)

• “I'd rather be unseen” (Line 13)

• “growing in clusters in the fertile valley” (Line 16)