Collections Grade 10 Guiding Questions

Collection 6

“Cloudy Day” by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Read the poem “Cloudy Day” by Jimmy Santiago Baca. Then, reread the lines
indicated with each question below. Answer each question, citing text evidence.

1. Lines 1–5: What words and phrases in the first stanza reveal tone? How does the
speaker feel about his situation based on this evidence?
2. Lines 7–12: What words in these lines have negative connotations? What feelings
do these words convey?
3. Lines 1–12: What is being personified in these lines? How do the wind’s human-like
qualities affect the speaker’s attitude toward life in prison?
4. Lines 13–23: What image recurs throughout the poem? How do the wind and the
speaker’s attitude toward the wind change in stanzas 1–4?
5. Lines 36–46: Summarize these lines and identify the tone, citing examples to
support your response.
6. Line 46: How has the tone changed from the beginning to the end of the poem?
How do this shift in tone and the speaker’s words in line 46 relate to the poem’s
theme?