The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What did you see happening in the poem? Paraphrase it‑-retell the event briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What is the most important word in the poem? Explain briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What is your first reaction or response to the poem? Describe or explain it briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What memory does the poem call to mind‑-an event, a scene, a person, a feeling, a thought?
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What feeling or emotion was aroused by the poem? Describe it briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What is the most important phrase in the poem? Explain briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What image was called to mind by the poem? Describe it briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What idea or thought was suggested by the poem? Explain it briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
Does this poem call to mind another literary work If so, what is it and what connection do you see between the two?
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What is the most important aspect of the poem? Explain briefly.
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
If you were to write‑-more than this short page‑-about your reading of the poem, upon what would you focus?
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What sort of person do you imagine the author of this text to be?
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
Do you think the text is a good one‑-why, or why not?
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank
in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing
things he’d chosen, and others knew the truth
had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,
their hiding places, but the car kept coming up,
the car in motion,
music filling it, and sometimes one other person
who understood the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take him from the need
to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.
from Between Angels, New York: W.W. Norton, 1989.
When you've read the poem please take five or ten minutes to write out your response to the following question on the back of the sheet. If you prefer to ignore the question and write freely, please do so.
What is the most difficult word in the text?
The Sacred
Stephen Dunn
After the teacher asked if anyone had
a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank