Water Picture - Weebly



Water Picture

May Swenson

In the pond in the park Treetops deploy a haze of

all things are doubled: cherry bloom for roots,

Long buildings hand and where birds coast belly-up

wiggle gently. Chimneys 20 in the glass bowl of a hill; are bent legs bouncing from its bottom a bunch

on clouds below. A flag of peanuts-munching children

5 wags like a fishhook is suspended by their

down there in the sky. sneakers, waveringly.

The arched stone bridge 25 A swarm, with twin necks

is an eye, with underlid forming the figure three,

in the water. In its lens steers between two dimpled

10 dip crinkled heads with hats towers doubled. Fondly

that don’t fall off. Dogs go by, hissing, she kisses herself.

barking on their backs. and all the scene is troubled:

A baby, taken to feed the 30 water-windows splinter,

15 ducks, dangles upside-down, tree-limbs tangle, the bridge

a pink balloon for a buoy. folds like a fan.

Choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1. Why are “all things doubled” in line 2?

a. the speaker needs glasses

b. the scenery is being reflected in the pond

c. the park is so big there are two of everything

d. the speaker is intoxicated

2. Which of the following would fit in with lines 2 through 25?

a. a young mother pushes a stroller along the paved pathway

b. children laugh and play in the cool spray of the fountain

c. a mounted policeman glides by, his horse paddling hooves at the sun

d. a peanut vendor parks his cart under the open arms of an oak

3. In lines 26-31, the author describes the swan. What is the swan doing that is described as “kissing herself”?

a. cleaning her feathers

b. touching bills with an identical swan in the pond

c. drinking from the pond

d. swimming in circles so fast her bill touches her tail

4. Which of the following careers might the speaker have?

a. boatswain

b. architect

c. fashion designer

d. librarian

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIIONS

1. Comprehension - the correct response is B. Lines 1 & 2 leads the reader to believe the speaker is looking into the pond. The actual objects and the reflections in the water’s surface give two images of everything.

2. Application - The correct response is C. The ”horse paddling hooves at the sun” is the only image that is upside-down.

3. Analysis – The correct response is C.

4. Synthesis - the correct response is C. The speaker of the poem uses language associated with a creative personality.

The poem Water Picture has been submitted by Patricia Karsten

As pre-activity for Saturday Institute – Dec. 3rd; FernRidge/Parkway

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download