Poetry Lesson 9 Questions

Read “Hope Is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson. Which of the following BEST expresses the theme of this poem? 

• Hope is everywhere if you know where to look.

• Hope is like a bird that comes and goes quickly. 

• You should always sing about hope to create more hope.

• Hope can be found even in the darkest of circumstances. 

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Which line from the text best supports the theme you selected above?

• “I've heard it in the chillest land
  And on the strangest sea” (9–10)

•  “Hope is the thing with feathers
  That perches in the soul” (1–2)

• “And sore must be the storm 
  That could abash the little bird” (6–7)

• “Yet, never, in Extremity,
  It asked a crumb of me” (11–12)

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Read “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou. Which line resonates with you? Explain your answer.

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Read “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou. Stanza 1 describes a free bird. Which diction (choice of words) supports this image? 

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• Read the following lines from stanza 2 of "Caged Bird":

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage

• What is the author literally trying to convey through this imagery? 

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• Why does the poet contrast the free bird and the caged bird? 

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• What is the theme of this poem? Which stanza(s) best support your answer?

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