Name: _________________________________________________________ Date:_____________ Poetry Unit English I

Poetry Discussion Guide

Oye Mundo/Sometimes p. 394-395 1. What is the subject of the poem? Describe it. The setting the barrio on a summer night 2. How does the juxtaposition of the long and short lines affect the rhythm and mood of the poem? The lines create irregular bursts of sound, which contribute to a general excited mood. 3. Re-read lines 24-30. What picture forms in your head from the imagery provided? a typical, hot summer night in the city 4. Does Melendez believe his neighborhood is beautiful all the time? Explain. No, he sprinkles the word sometimes throughout his description, and in the last two lines he refers to one very unattractive reality about his neighborhood 5. Fill in the chart: What is the pace of the How does the rhythm affect Is the rhythm regular or varied? rhythm? mood and ideas? varied quick and jumpy, with suggests the lively atmosphere occasional slowing down of the neighborhood (cooooooools)

D___6. How does the poet use rhythm to create the mood in Oye Mundo/Sometimes? A. He uses strong, regular beats to create a dancelike feeling. B. He uses a smooth, flowing rhythm to create a dreamlike, peaceful mood. C. He uses a quick, even rhythm to create a jolly, silly mood. D. He uses constant shifts in rhythm to create a dramatic, emotional mood. C___7. How does the speaker suggest that he does not always feel as positively toward his world as he describes feeling in Oye Mundo/Sometimes? A. by describing some of his sadder moods B. by listing more negative than positive features of his neighborhood C. by repeating sometimes before the good things he describes D. by switching back and forth between Spanish and English B___8. The rhythm of Oye Mundo/Sometimes gives the effect of A. ordinary conversation B. energetic movement C. a formal speech D. peaceful reflection

9. Fill out the chart for Oye Mundo/Sometimes: Images of joy music finger poppin soul flowers growin in gutters yelling OYE MUNDO TU ERES BONITO!!!

Images of sadness sirens junkies on the stoop

10. What are the sources of hope in Oye Mundo/ Sometimes? energy and vitality of the barriodespite the bad things, people are positive Jazz Fantasia p. 403 11. What examples of onomatopoeia are present in Jazz Fantasia? drum, batter, sob, ooze, husha-husha-hush, moan, bang bang, hoo-hoo-hoo-oo 12. What overall effect do the words produce? They evoke the sounds of jazz music and emotions ranging from sadness to excitement. 13. Choose the most memorable image from this poem and explain why it is memorable to you. Answers will vary, but should have an example from the poem with an explanation. 14. Explain the different moods of jazz represented in the 3rd and 4th stanzas of Jazz Fantasia. 3rd: sad, angry, violent 4th: soft, exciting, romantic A___15. What is the mood of Jazz Fantasia? A. exciting & emotional B. sleepy & distracted C. unsettled & cautious

C___16. What does the music symbolize in Jazz Fantasia? A. danger & reality B. death & regret C. life & emotions 17. Fill in the chart below: Source of Sound Onomatopoeia word from Jazz Fantasia batter banjo saxophone trombone sandpaper jazz band sob, cool, winding ooze husha-husha moan, cry, bang-bang, tumbling, hoo-hoo

18. What are some of the non-musical things the poet hears in the music? moaning autumn wind, cry of a racing car, sound of two people fighting, etc. A___19. Which word used in Jazz Fantasia is an onomatopoetic word suggesting the sound of autumn wind? A. moan B. sob C. ooze D. bang-bang A___20. How does the rhythm of the line Go to it, O jazzmen reflect the lines meaning? A. The strong, forceful beats reflect the simple, enthusiastic message. B. The delicate, dancing beats convey a playful mood. C. The rushing, forward rhythm suggests a desperate mood. D. The soft, dragging rhythm suggests a doubtful, conflicted message. D___21. Jazz Fantasia suggests the idea that jazz: A. requires skill to play. B. has its roots in Mississippi. C. is sad, violent music. D. can convey many moods. Nothing but Drums p. 403 22. Hijuelos uses imagery to appeal to the sense of sound. Complete the chart by writing the sound each drum makes in his poem Nothing but Drums. Type of drum Sound imagery provided rain drums A dripping, pitter-patter-type sound

coconuts-falling- A heavy thumping sound out-of-the-treesand thumpingagainst-theground-drums 23. How does Nothing but Drums convey the rhythm of every day life? Give examples. Through images such as: slamming the door, dropping the bucket, kicking the car fender, whacking a hand against a wall, etc. 24. Describe the mood of Nothing but Drums. exciting 25. Explain what you think music symbolizes in Nothing but Drums. Music symbolizes life, and also the world around us. He includes several images from nature. A___ 26. Which word in Nothing but Drums is an onomatopoetic word suggesting drumming? A. thumping B. stones C. fanning D. dropping B___27. What technique does the poet use to help the rhythm of Nothing but Drums: race along? A. He uses commas to separate the phrases in his poem. B. He uses hyphens to run words together. C. He varies the length of his lines. D. He uses many examples of onomatopoeia.

D___28. Nothing but Drums suggests the idea that: A. drums are the most important instruments in a band. B. drummers must learn to imitate the sounds of nature. C. the sounds of nature are more interesting than the sounds of human-made drums. D. the universe is alive with rhythmical sound. A___29. The example of onomatopoeia in Nothing but Drums, reveal A. the poetry of ordinary language. B. new meanings of familiar words. C. the other languages from which English has borrowed. D. the scientific reasons for certain sounds. ______________________________________________________________________________ Writing Techniques: Hyphens, Parentheses, and Dashes Guidelines: Hyphenate compound adjectives that precede a noun. (Shelly is a well-known author. or This is take-your-daughter-to-work week.) Hyphenate the compound numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine. Use parentheses to set off related but nonessential information in a sentence or paragraph. (I went canoeing in Ontario last summer (from June 28th to July 14th) and had a great time. Use dashes to set off with emphasis related but nonessential information in a sentence. (At our picnica most excellent feastwe saw two herons diving for fish in the lake.) *A dash is two hyphens connected.* _____________________________________________________________________________ PRACTICE: Insert hyphens, parentheses, and dashes where they belong. 1. Lucinda Matlock lived ninety-six years. 2. On the banks of Spoon Rivermy favorite river in the worldI found shells I had never seen before. 3. The well-spiced peas are cooking on the stove. 4. I watched the children running a one-block race. 5. The girl is plaiting (she just learned how yesterday) a three strand braid. Writing Practice: Choose a character or speaker from one of the poems and write a description of what you think he or she looks like. Use at least one hyphen, one set of parentheses, and one dash.