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    Rossanna Vilardo
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    The document provides 11 guiding questions for analyzing a poem about observing blue whales. The questions probe how the poet uses literary techniques like repetition, capitalization, word choice, and description of movement to create a sense of awe and respect for the massive yet graceful blue whales, and draw attention to observing them in their natural habitat.

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    Reading guide questions

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    The document provides 11 guiding questions for analyzing a poem about observing blue whales. The questions probe how the poet uses literary techniques like repetition, capitalization, word choice, and description of movement to create a sense of awe and respect for the massive yet graceful blue whales, and draw attention to observing them in their natural habitat.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    52 views2 pages

    Close Reading Guiding Questions

    Uploaded by

    Rossanna Vilardo
    The document provides 11 guiding questions for analyzing a poem about observing blue whales. The questions probe how the poet uses literary techniques like repetition, capitalization, word choice, and description of movement to create a sense of awe and respect for the massive yet graceful blue whales, and draw attention to observing them in their natural habitat.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 2

    CLOSE READING GUIDING QUESTIONS

    1.
    How does the poet create a sense of breathless excitement at the start of the poem?

    The uses of commas and caesura.

    2. Why is the size of the boat important?

    It helps emphasise the extraordinary size of the whales.

    3. Why capitalise Blue Whales?

    It shows awe, respect and admiration for these creatures.

    4. How many times is the word “they” repeated? What is the effect of this?

    It draws readers attention to the whales. It also elevates their status so it is on a par
    with humans

    5. What is the effect of the sibilance ( repeated s sound) on line 4?

    it shows the gracefulness of the creatures and creates a sound that is redolent of
    the sea.

    6. What words in the poem are synonymous with small?

    Tiny, diminutive.

    7. What are the connotations of the words “columns”?

    Civilisation, beauty, grace,sturdiness,strength.

    8. What is the effect of the alliteration of the “d” sound in “diminutive dorsals”?

    It emphasises the small size of the dorsals (fins), in relation to the whales' bodies, it
    also evokes their vulnerability

    9. List all the verbs that relate to seeing.

    Observe, disappear, view,showed, visible, vanished.


    10. What is the effect of the repetition of “heads” and “backs”?

    Shows how vulnerable they are ( these body parts are not easily protected)

    11. What verbs describe the movements of the whales and what do they have in
    common?

    Swimming, rose,rolling,hoved, arched,slipping. They are all graceful movements

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