ENG4U Learning Activity 2.

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Poem analysis worksheet

Poem analysis worksheet (for submission)

Analysis questions Poem No. 1 Poem No. 2

"I, Too" is the title of this poem. This title means to show a presence or identity. It emphasizes his identity/voice in
What can you learn from the title of the
this world. "I" in the title means he is a person and has a voice, like the others. The author wishes to be included, just
like everyone else. He believes he is worthy of being treated equally. The word "Too" suggests that the author is not
alone in this statement. It means that many others struggle with this discrimination. He feels like an outsider in his
poem?
area. He deserves a rightful place in his country, like the other citizens. The poem's title emphasizes the importance
of inclusion, as the author pleads for that sense of respect. Just like a child yearns for inclusion in activities, the title
conveys a sense of innocence, simply longing for the same.
There are many different types of poetic devices in the poem. Imagery is used in line 2 "I am the darker brother". It
The poem (I lost my talk) seems to be about the author losing her "voice" and
opinion. The word "talk" means that she lost her communication and
expression. Her identity is stolen away from her and she is not able to
express herself anymore. Someone might have caused her to have traumatic
experiences leading to her loss of identity. She might feel her "voice" is no
longer valid in society. The title encourages readers to consider the loss
experienced by the author and community and the journey to escape the
trauma. It may explore cultural identity and displacement.
A poetic device used is an allusion in the line “Shubenacadie School” because the author does not explicitly state

Identify and explain poetic devices in

helps the reader to imagine his point of view through a description. "darker" means that the author is referring to his it as a residential school but hinted it. In lines 6-8, the author uses a repetition of the words "like you". When she
race or ethnicity. "brother" means that he is connected to the others of his race. It implies that he is part of a repeats the words constantly, it emphasizes the meaning of changing her identity because of you. She had to
community or family of the same racial background. Symbolism is used in "America" throughout the poem. "America" change herself and her beliefs because of her culture and background. In line 9 she says "The scrambled ballad,

the poem.
is supposed to portray freedom and diversity among communities. The author wishes to have equality and freedom about my word" is a metaphor. It is a poem explaining a story that is beautifully written and conveys an important
rights for his community. He explains that he respects and loves his country, like every other citizen. He is fighting for message to the readers. It further emphasizes the loss of her innocence and language. The poem reflects on
more opportunities and freedom. Using "I" and "And" is an example of anaphora in the poem. These words are identity, resilience, and her enduring spirit.
repeated throughout the poem, causing a pattern. These repetitive words emphasize the author's voice and identity,
showcasing his resilience during difficult times. The anaphora in the text enhances his strength and determination.

This poem is categorized as a free verse poem. The author has a strong The poem is divided into 4 stanzas and arranged in a free verse style. Each
How are the words arranged? What is reason to refuse proper poetry form. The poem consists of 5 stanzas that
have a different amount of lines. The arrangement of the words is a sense of
stanza consists of different lengths of lines. The purpose of the poem is to
convey an important message to readers. The readers should feel the
the effect on the reader? directness and clarity. The poem conveys a powerful message without using
complicated words that could confuse the meaning. The reader can connect
emotions and experiences of the author. The poem is like a natural flow of
thoughts to help the reader understand and connect to the text. The reader
easily to the experiences and emotions of the author. It provides a sense of will experience the author's experiences and journey throughout the poem.
compassion for the author's experiences.

The poem's theme revolves perserving through the discrimination in the country. He is being pushed aside to the
The last stanza with the last 2 lines "Let me find my
Identify word clusters to help you
corner by other people, like in line 3 "They send me to eat in the kitchen". He feels excluded because of his race,
which is disturbing. The author states that everyone should be treated fairly, regardless of their culture or
background. He believes a day will arrive when he and his community will no longer face racial discrimination but will talk So I can teach you about me. " It explains her
determine the theme or main idea of
be recognized and valued as equals. This is shown in lines 8-10 "Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company
comes". The author refuses to confine to the shadows and loses his self-worth and dignity. He expresses an
optimistic future as he says "When company comes", meaning there will be a day when he will get the rights and
desire to educate others about the beauty of her
your poem. culture. It centers around the theme and main idea.
recognition he deserves.

Her intentions were pure and harmless, unlike the

others who were forced to change.

1. The main idea/theme of the poem is perseverance and resilience. The 1. The theme of courage and creating a change is
Focus questions: poem conveys hope and perseverance. The author continues to specify that
he will receive equal and freedom rights. He continues to fight for the nation's shown in the last stanza. The author stands up for
promise of equality and inclusion. Despite facing numerous challenges with herself and her race by asking to have her "voice"
people around him, he believes that his efforts will lead to recognition and the
back, so she could share it with the world. She has
What is the theme or main idea of your
ability to create a positive change. He is resilient towards the challenges that
keep occuring. a desire to retrieve her culture and language. She
poem? How do you know? 2. The title plays a significant role in understanding the tone of the poem's
theme. It shows the strong mindset of persevering through the hardships he
experienced a loss of voice, culture and identity
faces in his life. It highlights his desire to be recognized and acknowledged
throughout her life.
as part of American society without being discriminated against.

How does the title relate to the theme? 2. The title relates to the theme because she is
attempting to find her voice since she lost it
because of outside forces. She portrays her
What image or line from the poem courage to find her voice and perseveres through
the challenges.

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Analysis questions Poem No. 1
3. "They'll see how beautiful I am" (lines 16) is a powerful and meaningful
stood out to you? Explain. line. His confidence and determination are inspiring to hear. He confidently
expresses his value and identity to society. Despite being excluded and
discriminated against, he remains resilient and confident about himself. The
text empowers the reader to apply confidence and resilience in our lives. It
If you could ask the poet a question,
signifies the author's determination of refusing to give up.
4. I would ask if expressing his trauma and emotions through poetry helps
what might it be? Why are you asking him deal with the pain. I am curious if writing thoughts down help with dealing
with emotions and experiences. He dealt with a horrible experience in his life.
that question? He writes poetry in a beautiful and mesmerizing way.
No, I do not because poetry focuses on the words and
Do you see the poet’s gender reflected emotions conveyed from his experience. The poem is
in their writing? If so, how? If not, what about his experience of discrimination and inequality. It
should not focus on his gender, but rather his identity and
do you think is the reason? community. The poem is to advocate for a more inclusive
and equitable society. The purpose was to provide
African Americans with hope, dealing with inequality and
Do you see any other part of the poet’s hardships residing in the country. This poem perseveres
everyone to speak up and fight through the challenges.
intersectionality reflected in their The author provides reassurance to everyone, affirming
that they will receive their recognition and appreciation.
writing? Explain.
The poem reflects the resilience African Americans face
How does the poet comment on throughout the challenges and problems. The last two
resilience in this poem? stanzas represent resilience. He explains his hardships
and continues to portray his resilience and preservation.
The author mentions that his beauty will beauty and worth
will be recognized and honored.
Copyright © 2021 The Ontario Educational Communications Authority. All rights reserved.
ENG4U Learning Activity 2.3
Poem analysis worksheet
Poem No. 2
3. In stanza 3, she says "Two ways I talk Both ways I say, Your way is more
powerful." This quote holds a significant meaning because of the way it is
written. She clearly states that she can talk and understand two languages,
but is unable to speak confidently in her language. She is not able to
remember her culture or native voice because of the impact of the residential
schools. She suffers to remember her motherland and her culture. Without a
culture or background, she feels useless and alone. Our background signifies
our true personality and identity.
4. I would ask the author about her experience in the residential schools and
how she faced it throughout it, along with the post-trauma of it. It is wonderful
that she is expressing her pain through poetry because it will help others hear
her story. When more people know the truth about residential schools,
awareness will spread and it will prevent anything like this from reoccurring.
The poem is not gender reflected because gender did not matter in
residential schools. A girl/boy would be sent to the schools to be completely
transformed. She is expressing her pain and feelings about the schools, like
the other humans that experienced it. Gender was not the main concern of
the poem because it was meant to portray the author's experience in these
schools. She intends to connect her feelings and thoughts to the reader and
show a mental image of her experience. However, this reflects the
intersectionality of culture, race, and religion. The poem can be related to
other experiences that occurred around the world. Many other races and
religions have experienced racism and discrimination in different ways. For
example, millions of Jews experienced the holocaust, resulting in horrible
events and war.
The last stanza of the poem represents resilience because of her change in
attitude toward the situation. She became resilient from her experience in the
schools. She resorted to kindness and a gentle manner, in efforts to retrieve
her roots and culture. She desires to tell her story to the world while pleading
for her "talk". This demonstrates resilience as she confronts the challenges
and transforms them into something beautiful and enlightening to learn from.
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