"Keeping the Night Watch"
by Hope Anita Smith
Poetic Phrase"Only I know his words are plastic." (p.4)
"They sugarcoat it." (p.5) "and then I scratch the pillow dog." (p.7) "Byron hears the ball kiss the pavement and is out of his room and out of the door." (p.10) "But my questions are brick heavy." (p.8) "waving the white flag of surrender." (p.13) "My crown falls of my head and her words cut, each one a shard of glass" (page 15) "I'm a pot with the lid on." (p. 16) "He is a shadow long and full, leaving little room for light and making it hard to see me." (p.17) "she has laid herself out in the front door like a welcome mat." (p. 19) "She wants to deal with the problem head-on." (p.21) "I stare at my face in the mirror." (p.22) "could just stop shining." (p.23) "momma wears a painted smile that says everything is okay, now." (p.24) "It was my black cloud." (p.26) "that my snowy mountain of anger will be so weighed down by daddy's apology." (p.28) "wedged in between me and Zuri." (p.31) "I'm stuck" (p.32) "when they passed the dinner rolls it always caused a mess." (p.34) "walking on eggshells." (p.38) "my happy and my sad are a swirl." (p.43) "Preacher's eyes are ablaze." (p.44) "The receiver is my fortress." (p.46) "Piece of Cake." (p.47) "You are whipped, man ---- without a belt." (p.51) "One wrong move and I bite the lunchroom news bullet." (p.53 line 27) "But what I really want to say sits up on the highest shelf." (p.54 lines 8-9) "Sometimes I think my heart is made of steal." (p.57 line 7) "I am God making mountains of shaving cream in the palm of my hands." (p.58 lines 12-14) "My eyes nearly popped out of my head." (p.61 line 17) "You just keep what I'm tellin' you under your hat." (p.64 line 34) "Fathers who leave, keep paying even when they come back." (p.67 line 6) "We are all tired of stumbling around in the dark of uncertainty." (p.69 lines 28-29) "Now daddy is home and the aftershocks are keeping us all on alert." (p.70 lines 9-11) "He shuts his eyes and lets the tornado of sound catch him up in its whirlwind." (p.72 lines 3-5) |
Visualization |
Author's IntentThe authors means when he says "Only I know his words are plastic" (p.4) is that he is just making stuff up.
The author means when he says "They sugarcoat it" (p.5) is that they are trying to protect themselves. The author means when he says "and then I scratch the pillow dog." (p.7) is that Zuri is pretending that she has a dog. The author means when he says "But my questions are brick heavy." (p.8) is that he has a lot of questions for dad. The author means when he says "Byron hears the ball kiss the pavement and is out of his room and out of the door." (p.10) is that he knows his dad is going to ask him to play but he doesn't want to. The author means when he says "waving the white flag of surrender." (p.13) is that his dad is sorry that he left. The author means when he says "My crown falls of my head and her words cut, each one a shard of glass" (p. 15) is that Zuri wants dad to read to him not at CJ. The author means when he says "I'm a pot with a lid on." (p.16) is that CJ is holding a grudge not just forgetting about it. The author means when he says "He is a shadow long and full, leaving little room for light and making it hard to see me." (p.17) is that CJ has changed so much that he cant see himself anymore. The author means when he says "she has laid herself out in the front door like a welcome mat." (p. 19) is that Zuri doesn't want dad to leave again. The author means when he says "She wants to deal with the problem head-on." (p.21) is that Zuri's teacher is worried because her house drawings have no doors. The author means when he says "I stare at my face in the mirror." (p.22) is that CJ doesn't know who he is anymore. The author means when he says "could just stop shining" (p.23) is that CJ cant see his dad anymore. The author means when he says "momma wears a painted smile that says everything is okay, now." (p.24) is that momma says that so everyone is happy. The author means when he says "It was my black cloud." (p.26) is that nobody could see dad anymore. The author means when he says "that my snowy mountain of anger will be so weighed down by daddy's apology." (p.28) is that he hopes dad will give him an apology. The author means when he says "wedged in between me and Zuri." (p.31) The author means when he says "I'm stuck" (p.32) is that CJ is stuck with all his problems. The author means when he says "when they passed the dinner rolls it always caused a mess." (p.34) is that they always caused a mess. The author means when he says "walking on eggshells." (p.38) is that he is trying to come up with an apology. The author means when he says "my happy and my sad are a swirl." (p.43) is that sometimes CJ is sad and sometimes he is happy. (Line 13) The author means when he says "Preacher's eyes are ablaze." (p.44) is that the preacher is mad that the police are making fun of CJ. (line 2) The author means when he says "The receiver is my fortress." (p.46) is that CJ will do anything for Maya. (line 7) The author means when he says "Piece of Cake." (p.47) is that it is very easy. (line 3) The author means when he says "You are whipped, man ---- without a belt." (p.51) is that he chooses gals before pals. (line 13) The author means when he says "One wrong move and I bite the lunchroom news bullet." (p.53 line 27) is that he doesn't want everyone to start talking about it. The author means when he says "But what I really want to say sits up on the highest shelf." (p.54 lines 8-9) is that he is to scared of what he really wants to say to Maya. The author means when he says "Sometimes I think my heart is made of steal." (p.57 line 7) is that he is to scared to tell Maya about how he really feels about her. The author means when he says "I am God making mountains of shaving cream in the palm of my hands." (p.58 lines 12-14) is that he used a lot of shaving cream for his face. The author means when he says "My eyes nearly popped out of my head." (p.61 line 17) is that he didn't know at first what it was preacher showed him. The author means when he says "You just keep what I'm tellin' you under your hat." (p.64 line 34) is that CJ's dad want him to remember what he told him The author means when he says "Fathers who leave, keep paying even when they come back." (p.67 line 6) is that Zuri doesn't want her dad to leave. The author means when he says "We are all tired of stumbling around in the dark of uncertainty." (p.69 lines 28-29) is that the family isn't confident that they will be a good family. The author means when he says "Now daddy is home and the aftershocks are keeping us all on alert." (p.70 lines 9-11) is that they don't want daddy to leave again. The author means when he says "He shuts his eyes and lets the tornado of sound catch him up in its whirlwind." (p.72 lines 3-5) is that he is trying to block out all the noises in his head. |
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE FINDER:
As you read, create a chart
tracking
the figurative language mentioned in the poetry and throughout the
verse
novel. A sample chart below has been created for you, but you are
free to create a different graphic organizer or chart that suits your liking and
still meets assignment expectations.
As you read, create a chart
tracking
the figurative language mentioned in the poetry and throughout the
verse
novel. A sample chart below has been created for you, but you are
free to create a different graphic organizer or chart that suits your liking and
still meets assignment expectations.
Directions: In the first column, identify examples of
poetic word choices and phrases from “Parents and Teachers” through
“Man-to-Man”
in Part I of Keeping the Night Watch (“Fall”). In the
second column,
write what this image looks or feels like. In the third
column, write why the
author chose to describe the example as she did.
poetic word choices and phrases from “Parents and Teachers” through
“Man-to-Man”
in Part I of Keeping the Night Watch (“Fall”). In the
second column,
write what this image looks or feels like. In the third
column, write why the
author chose to describe the example as she did.
"Only I know his words are plastic" (p.4)
"They sugarcoat it." (p.5)
"and then I scratch the pillow dog." (p.7)
"But my questions are brick heavy." (p.8)
"Byron hears the ball kiss the pavement and is out of his room and out of the
door." (p.10)
door." (p.10)
"waving the white flag of surrender." (p.13)
"My crown falls of my head and her words cut, each one a shard of glass" (p. 15)
"I'm a pot with the lid on." (p. 16)
"He is a shadow long and full, leaving little room for light and making it hard
to see me." (p.17)
to see me." (p.17)
"she has laid herself out in the front door like a welcome mat." (p. 19)
"She wants to deal with the problem head-on." (p.21)
"I stare at my face in the mirror." (p.22)
"could just stop shining." (p.23)
"It was my black cloud." (p.26)
"that my snowy mountain of anger will be so weighed down by daddy's
apology."
(p.28)
apology."
(p.28)
"wedged in between me and Zuri." (p.31)
"I'm stuck" (p.32)
"when they passed the dinner rolls it always caused a mess." (p.34)
"walking on eggshells." (p.38)
"my happy and my sad are a swirl." (p.43)
"Preacher's eyes are ablaze." (p.44)
"The receiver is my fortress." (p.46)
"You are whipped, man ---- without a belt." (p.51)
"One wrong move and I bite the lunchroom news bullet." (p.53 line 27)
"But what I really want to say sits up on the highest shelf." (p.54 lines 8-9)
"Sometimes I think my heart is made of steal." (p.57 line 7)
"I am God making mountains of shaving cream in the palm of my hands." (p.58 lines
12-14)
12-14)
"My eyes nearly popped out of my head." (p.61 line 17)
"You just keep what I'm tellin' you under your hat." (p.64 line 34)
"Fathers who leave, keep paying even when they come back." (p.67 line 6)
"We are all tired of stumbling around in the dark of uncertainty." (p.69 lines 28-29)
"Now daddy is home and the aftershocks are keeping us all on alert." (p.70 lines 9-11)
"He shuts his eyes and lets the tornado of sound catch him up in its whirlwind." (p.72 lines 3-5)