Poem+Questions+10.18.10+LiamRogers

 ** 1. **** Select one poem of the four provided and write another poem mimicking the style and syntax of the first poem. You can change the topic and words, but the rhythm, number of syllables, sentence structure and poetic elements (such as repetition and figurative language) have to be mirrored in your poem. You may write on any topic you like. **

 ** THE CORN GROWS UP **

The corn grows up. The waters of the dark clouds drop, drop. The rain descends. The waters from the corn leaves drop, drop. The rain descends. The waters from the plants drop, drop. The corn grows up. The waters of the dark mists drop, drop.

**My Poem;**  The Homework piles up  All the work makes me want to stop, stop  The Tests Pile up.  All the work makes me want to stop, stop  The work keeps on piling up  Now i really just want to stop stop  My grades go up  Now im really glad that i did not stop, stop

 ** 2. **** Select two poems (must be different than the one you picked for #1) and write two short paragraphs that compare and contrast the poems. Your paragraphs can focus on different elements of the poems, including subject, theme, tone, use of poetic devices such as repetition, imagery, and any progressions that you notice in the poems (for example, you might notice that the images get stronger in each line, or the detail gets more specific). Be sure that (a) you explain how the elements contribute to the message or feeling of the whole poem and (b) that you don’t just talk about one poem and then the other. You have to first talk about the comparisons (similarities) and then the contrasts (differences). So you have to think about the structure of your paragraphs before you write them. **

 **  ** HE SONG OF THE SKY LOOM **

O our Mother the Earth, O our Father the Sky, . . . weave for us a garment of brightness; May the warp be the white light of morning, May the weft be the red light of evening, May the fringes be the falling rain, May the border be the standing rainbow. Thus weave for us a garment of brightness That we may walk fittingly where birds sing, That we may walk fittingly where grass is green, O our Mother the Earth, O our father the Sky! // from the Tewa Indians //  **

 ** I Have Killed the Deer **

I have killed deer. I have crushed the grasshopper And the plants he feeds upon. I have cut through the heart Of trees growing old and straight. I have taken fish from water And birds from the sky. In my life I have needed death So that my life can be. When I died I must give life To what has nourished me. The earth receives my body And gives it to the plants And to the caterpillars To the birds And to the coyotes Each in its own turn so that The circle of life is never broken. // from the Taos Pueblo Indians //

My 2 Paragraphs:

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** 3. **** Read the short story called **** "The Navajo Origin Legend **** ". Answer the following questions: ** ** a. **** What did you like about the story? **
 * b. **** What did you dislike about the story? **
 * c. **** What was the image that was most powerful or interesting for you? **
 * d. **** The Native Americans who wrote this poem are similar to other pre-colonial societies in that they write about the materials of their everyday lives in their myths. Food, nature, and animals are some such materials. Identify all the specific materials that appear in the story that would be common in the everyday lives of the Native American culture. For each material that you identify, explain briefly what is happening to it in the story. **
 * e. **** What can you tell about the culture of this people based on the materials that appear in this story and they way that these objects are used? Do you notice any patterns in how these materials are depicted? **

** 4. The speaker in "I Have Killed a Deer" talks about death and killing in an unusual way. How would you describe the way he talks about death and killing? Why does he talk about it this way? Do you think he feels sorry for killing living things? What single line is a turning point in the message of this poem? What is the overall message of this poem, in a single short sentence? **