Ernest Lawrence Thayer, William Stafford, Sandra Cisneros

Poetry Collection 5

pp. 693-703

Ernest Lawrence Thayer, William Stafford, Sandra Cisneros

Name______Date______

Writing About the Big Question

The Big Question: How does communication change us?

Big Question Vocabulary

aware communication comprehension discuss empathy

exchange illuminate informed interpretation meaning

react relationship resolution respond understanding

A. Use one or more words from the list above to complete each sentence.

1. The chairperson announced, “We will not reach a______in thisdebate unless we all listen carefully to one another’s viewpoints.”

2. My______with Ken was damaged when I learned he was telling liesabout me.

3. “It is my______,” Stacy said, “that the package will arrive at ouroffice before 2 P.M.”

4. “Let’s______e-mail addresses,” Matt urged, “so we can stay intouch.”

5. That article helped a lot to______some obscure passages in thepoem.

B. Follow the directions in responding to each of the items below. Circle the two BQ vocabulary words you use.

1. List two different times when an exchange of ideas with someone else persuaded you

to change your mind about someone or something.

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2. Write two sentences to explain one of these experiences, and describe how it madeyou feel. Use at least two of the Big Question vocabulary words.

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C. Complete the sentence below. Then, write a short paragraph in which you connect the

sentence to the Big Question.Circle the two BQ vocabulary words you use.

When a crowd communicates its support or disapproval, a person might react by______

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Grammar: Appositive Phrases (p. 716)

An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed near another noun or pronoun to identify, rename,

or explain it. Notice in the following example that the appositive is set off by commas, which

indicates that it is not essential to the meaning of the sentence and can be removed.

Example: The author of “The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe, was also a noted short-story writer.

In the following example, Edgar Allan Poe is not set off by commas because it is needed to

complete the meaning of the sentence.

Example: The American writer Edgar Allan Poe is often credited with the invention of the

modern short story.

When an appositive has its own modifiers, it forms an appositive phrase. Appositive

phrases are placed next to a noun or pronoun to add information and details.

Example: We enjoyed reading Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” a thrilling tale of suspense.

A. DIRECTIONS: Underline the appositive phrase in each of the following sentences. Then, write the word or words that each appositive phrase renames.

1. Hyperbole, a figure of speech involving deliberate exaggeration, appears in a wide variety of

literary works.

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2. For instance, Homer, the oral poet credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey,often uses hyperbole to describe the deeds of epic heroes.

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3. Jonathan Swift employs the same device for fantastic effects in Gulliver’s Travels, hispointed satire on human life and behavior.

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B. Writing Application: Write a brief paragraph in which you describe an appliance that you

often use at home. Use at least three appositive phrases in your writing, and underline each

appositive phrase you use.

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Grammar: Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases (p. 738)

An infinitive is a verb form preceded by the word to that acts as a noun, an adjective, or anadverb. An infinitive phrase is an infinitive with its modifiers or complements. Like infinitives,

infinitive phrases can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Unlike a prepositional phrase

that begins with to and ends with a noun or pronoun, an infinitive phrase always ends with a verb.

Infinitive: The schoolboy liked to complain. (acts as a noun, functioning as the direct object of the sentence)

Infinitive Phrase: During the storm, I was afraid to go outdoors. (acts as an adverb by modifying afraid)

Prepositional Phrase: The girls traveled to the beach.

A. DIRECTIONS: On the line provided, write the infinitive phrase in each sentence. Be sure to

write the entire infinitive phrase: the infinitive with all of its modifiers or complements. Then,

identify whether the infinitive phrase functions as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

1. On the beach, the girls found plenty of shells to collect.

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2. May wanted to keep the smooth round stone.

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3. Maggie pointed out that iridescent shells are sometimes hard to find.

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4. Molly was afraid to admit her fear of the little crab.

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5. The beach was an ideal place to enjoy the warm, sunny afternoon.

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B. Writing Application: Write a brief paragraph describing one of your favorite hobbies. Use

at least three infinitive phrases in your writing, and underline each infinitive phrase you use.

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Vocabulary Builder (p. 694)

Word List

defiance demure multitude pallor preceded writhing

A. DIRECTIONS: Match each word in Column A with the correct definition in Column B.

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Grade 9, Unit 4

Column A

___ 1. pallor

___ 2. writhing

___ 3. demure

Column B

A. twisting

B. modest

C. paleness

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Grade 9, Unit 4

B. DIRECTIONS: In each of the following items, think about the meaning of the italicized word

and then answer the question.

1. A multitude of townspeople attended the parade. Why might it have been hard to see themarchers?

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2. Jean reacted with defiance when we asked her to deliver her report. Why might we have feltangry and hurt?

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3. Nathaniel preceded his piano recital with a few informal comments about the composer.Which came first: his comments or his performance?

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C. WORD STUDY: Use the context of each sentence and what you know about the Latin prefix

pre-to rewrite the sentence so that it makes sense. Be careful not to change the word initalics.

1. Lucy was interested in the comments by the authors in the preface at the end of thereport.

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2. At the parade, Mayor Vargas was scarcely visible because she preceded all the othermarchers.

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3. Thinking about yesterday’s history test, Mark has a premonition that several questionswould relate to the chapter review.

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Literary Analysis: Narrative Poetry (p. 693)

Narrative poetry is verse that tells a story and includes the same literary elements asnarrative prose:

• a plot, or sequence of events

• specific settings

• characters who participate in the action

Also like narrative prose, such as a short story, a narrative poem conveys a mood, oratmosphere—an overall feeling created by the setting, plot, words, and images. For example,a narrative poem’s mood can be gloomy, joyous, or mysterious. Poetry’s emphasis on precisewords and images makes mood a powerful element in a narrative poem.

DIRECTIONS: As you read “Casey at the Bat,” “Fifteen,” and “Twister Hits Houston,” answer thefollowing questions.

“Casey at the Bat”

1. What story does this poem tell?

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2. Who are the two most important characters in the poem?

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3. Briefly describe the poem’s outcome.

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4. How does Thayer use details of sound to contribute to the poem’s setting?

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“Fifteen”

5. Who is the speaker in this poem, and what occasion does he recall?

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6. What is the principal conflict in “Fifteen”?

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“Twister Hits Houston”

7. What details create suspense in this narrative poem?

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8. How would you describe the atmosphere, or mood, at the end of the poem?

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Reading: Paraphrasing (p. 693)

Paraphrasing is restating in your own words what someone else has written or said. Aparaphrase retains the essential meaning and ideas of the original but is simpler to read.

Paraphrasing is especially helpful when reading poetry because poems often contain

figurative language, words and phrases that are used imaginatively rather than literally. To

paraphrase lines in a narrative poem, picture the action:

• Based on details in the poem, form a mental image of the setting, the characters, and the

characters’ actions.

• To be sure that your mental picture is accurate, pay close attention to the way that the

poet describes elements of the scene.

• Then, use your own words to describe your mental image of the scene and the action taking

place in it.

DIRECTIONS: On the lines provided, paraphrase the following passages from the narrative poemsin this collection. Remember that a paraphrase is a restatement in your own words.

1. And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,

And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped;

“That ain’t my style,” said Casey. “Strike one,” the umpire said. (“Casey at the Bat”)

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2. I admired all that pulsing gleam, the

shiny flanks, the demure headlights,

fringed where it lay; I led it gently

to the road and stood with that

companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen. (“Fifteen”)

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3. Papa who was sitting on his front porch

when the storm hit

said the twister ripped

the big black oak to splinter . . . (“Twister Hits Houston”)

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Enrichment: Mathematics

Breaking Records

In “Casey at the Bat,” the mighty Casey strikes out. We are led to believe, however, that the fictional Caseywas normally a powerful hitter—perhaps capable of setting an all-time home run record.In real life, Babe Ruth held the career Major League home run record for thirty-eight years.Before Hank Aaron began creeping up on Babe Ruth’s lifetime mark of 714 home runs, many baseballfans thought Ruth’s total would never be surpassed. Then Aaron’s new record seemed unbreakable until Barry Bonds launched his own assault on the lifetime homer mark with a remarkable power surge that began in the late 1990s, and he passed Aaron on August 7, 2007.

The following table shows the lifetime records of the top Major League home run hitters at the start of the 2009 season. Players whose names are in boldface were still active at that time, so their totals and ranks might have changed since then.

Name / Home Runs / Rank
Barry Bonds* / 762 / 1
Hank Aaron / 755 / 2
Babe Ruth* / 714 / 3
Willie Mays / 660 / 4
Ken Griffey, Jr.* / 611 / 5
Sammy Sosa / 609 / 6
Frank Robinson / 586 / 7
Mark McGwire / 583 / 8
Harmon Killebrew / 573 / 9
Rafael Palmeiro* / 569 / 10
Reggie Jackson* / 563 / 11
Alex Rodriguez / 553 / 12

*Left-handed batter

DIRECTIONS: Use the table to answer the followingquestions.

1. By how many home runs did the following players fall short of Barry Bonds’s record?

A. Mays ______B. Robinson ______C. Killebrew ______

2. How much greater was the number of home runs by which Aaron surpassed Ruth than the number of home runs by which Bonds surpassed Aaron?

3. Which is greater—the average number of career home runs hit by left-handed batters, or the average number hit by right-handed batters? Give the averages for both in your answer.

4. If a player averages 43 home runs each season, how many seasons will it take him to break Barry Bonds’s record?

5. Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career home-run record even though Aaron never hit as many as 50 home runs in a season. Use the Internet to answer this question: How many times did Babe Ruth hit 50 or more home runs in a season?

6. Use the Internet to find updated career home run totals for Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez.

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Grade 9, Unit 4