Question

name: _____________ week 3.1 ela homework date: _____
poem 1: the golden empire
high in the mountains where the solstice shines bright,
we build stone walls that fit just right.
the sapa inca leads with a golden staff,
walking the trail on a rocky path.
farmers plant corn on a steep green summit,
using the rain with a peaceful skill.
terraces rise like a giant stair,
with llamas grazing in the cool, thin air.
the runners race fast to bring the dispatches,
wearing their sandals and woven shoes.
they carry a message through valley and pass,
running through flowers and waving grass.
we weave bright wool into a soft temperate coat,
watching the clouds like a distant boat,
in the land of four quarters, our story is told,
of a mountain kingdom and a crown of gold.
questions for poem 1

1. in the second stanza, the author writes that \terraces rise like a giant stair.\ what two things are being compared, and what does this tell you about the shape of the land?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

1. in the first stanza, find the words that describe how the stone walls were built. what mental picture do these words create about the skill of the inca builders?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Explanation:

Question 1

The line "Terraces rise like a giant stair" is a simile. We identify the two things being compared by looking at the elements of the simile: "terraces" and "a giant stair". To determine what it tells about the land's shape, we analyze the characteristics of a giant stair (has multiple levels, rises in steps) and relate it to terraces. Terraces are built on slopes, and if they rise like a giant stair, the land is steep and has a stepped, sloped shape (like stairs have multiple steps going up).

In the first stanza, the line is "We build stone walls that fit just right". The words describing how the stone walls were built are "fit just right". To find the mental picture of the Inca builders' skill, we interpret "fit just right"—it implies the builders were precise, skilled, and careful, as the walls fit perfectly, suggesting they had the expertise to construct walls that matched the landscape or each other accurately.

Answer:

The two things being compared are terraces and a giant stair. This tells us that the land (where the terraces are built) is steep and has a stepped, sloped shape, similar to how a giant stair has multiple levels or steps rising upwards.

Question 2