Question

① the poems title and the speakers stated circumstances help express themes.
② a single poem may express many themes.
③ a theme is not just a word or phrase. it is a statement about life in general.
a. directions: in each excerpt below, note the image and the sense to which it appeals. then, write the sense from the box that applies to the image in the excerpt.
sight • smell • hearing • taste • touch

1. _________ the blueberries from the bush behind our house were so bitter, / but we smiled as we ate / because they were all ours.
2. _________ the wind rustled the dry reeds in a low rasp near me, / a red-wing blackbird pierced the air with a sharp kon-ka-reee!
3. _________ the clay, / wet and clammy, / spinning, spinning on the wheel, / yielding to each push and each pull.
4. _________ the crisp, woody, citrus scent / that hangs in the air / in a pine forest / after a long rain.
5. _________ in the distance, / tiny lights sparkling, / then going dark, / like fireflies at dusk / on a warm summer night.

b. directions: read each statement. if it expresses a theme, write yes on the line. if it does not express a theme, write no and explain why not

Explanation:

1. The excerpt describes blueberries as "so bitter," which relates to taste perception.
2. The excerpt includes sounds: "rustled the dry reeds," "shrill kon-ka-reee," which relate to hearing.
3. The excerpt describes clay as "wet and clammy," "yielding to each push and pull," which relates to touch.
4. The excerpt refers to a "crisp, woody, citrus scent," which relates to smell.
5. The excerpt describes "tiny lights sparking, then going dark" like fireflies, which relates to sight.

Answer:

1. taste
2. hearing
3. touch
4. smell
5. sight