Animal

Part 1

If this were my poetry exam, I would…

1)      Read the poem with attention and care, look out for details and potential metaphors

Diction:

2)      Underline all descriptions

a.       Color descriptions (blue mountain, white snow, white body, brown hair)

b.      Quantities/sizes (single clear flat nuthatch, little hemlock, five lakes, biggest little lake, half in shade)

c.       Time descriptions (up through time, after all day)

d.      Other adjectives (slender needle-sprays, ragged rocky skyline, clear flat nuthatch, naked bug)

3)      Underline the verbs in a different color than the descriptions

a.       Call, Scrambling, dives

                                                              i.      Note that there are almost NO VERBS in this poem!!

4)      Identify all the nouns

a.       Mountain, snow gleam, pine bulk, needle-sprays, hemlock, shade, skyline, nuthatch, treetrunks, time, lakes basin, lake, peaks, bug, body, hair, water

b.      I’ll ask myself the question: Do I see any connections? A reoccurring theme? All the nouns have something to do with nature and I see the image of trees in the mountains, a calm atmosphere, birds and insects flying through the air, as well as a large sparkling lake.

5)      Look out for alliterations

a.       Hemlock half, ragged rocky, through time, little lake, after all, treetrunks

       Structure

6)      How many stanzas are there? 2

7)      What is the difference between the two stanzas? The first one is more descriptive than the second one, which is more active.

a.       Interpretation:  Two different animals seem to be portrayed, showing the difference between them. The first stanza reminds me of a bird that is hiding in the trees, looking out for the dangers of the mountains.