Curriculum Assessment #3 Review Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

The student will be able to analyze a poem. The student will annotate a poem. The student will be able to analyze (THINK ABOUT AND BREAK APART) answer choices to determine the correct answer to a question.

Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

1 The willow is like an etching, 2 Fine-lined against the sky. 3 The ginkgo is like a crude sketch, 4 Hardly worthy to be signed.
What two things are being contrasted? What is a willow? What is a ginkgo? What is the speaker saying about each? What words did you look up to help you understand the meaning?

Stanza One
In the first stanza, the speaker is comparing each of the trees to different types of paintings.
The willow is described as a refined painting. The ginkgo is defined as a rough painting.

Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

5 The willow s music is like a soprano, 6 Delicate and thin. 7 The ginkgo s tune is like a chorus 8 With everyone joining in.
What is the speaker comparing the two types of trees to in this stanza? What is she saying about each?

Stanza Two
The speaker compares the trees to different types of singing.
The willow is compared to sound of one strong singer. The ginkgo is compared to the sound of an entire chorus.

Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

9 The willow is sleek as a velvet-nosed calf, 10 The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull. 11 The willow s branches are like silken thread; 12 The ginkgo s like stubby rough wool.
The format of the poem changes here. Instead of one comparison, there are two. What are the first comparison in lines 9 and 10? What is the second comparison in lines 11 and 12?

Stanza Three
In lines 9 and 10, the trees are compared to different types of cattle.
The willow is compared to a baby calf. The ginkgo is compared to an old bull.

Stanza Three
In lines 11 and 12, the trees are compared to different types of threads or materials.
The willow is compared to a fine silk thread. The ginkgo is compared to an rough, heavy wool.

Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

13 The willow is like a nymph with streaming hair; 14 Wherever it grows, there is green and gold and fair. 15 The willow dips to the water, 16 Protected and precious, like the king s favorite daughter.

Again, we have a change in format. The speaker is only focusing on the willow in this stanza. What two things is the willow compared to in this stanza? What are these two things?

Stanza Four
First, the willow is compared to a nymph.
A nymph is a mythological creature, a beautiful maiden of the sea.

Stanza Four
Second, the willow is compared to a princess.

Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

17 The ginkgo forces its way through gray concrete; 18 Like a city child, it grows up in the street. 19 Thrust against the metal sky, 20 Somehow it survives and even thrives.
Now the speaker focuses solely on the ginkgo. What is she saying about the ginkgo in this stanza?

Stanza Five
The speaker makes the ginkgo seem like a weed that can grow anywhere.

Willow and Ginkgo by Eve Merriam

21 My eyes feast upon the willow, 22 But my heart goes to the ginkgo.

This last stanza is different than all the others. The speaker is no longer making comparisons. What is she doing instead?

Stanza Six
The speaker is now sharing her feelings about each of the trees.
The willow is the one she finds visually beautiful. The ginkgo is the one she feels love for.

Analyzing the Poem

What types of figurative language are used in the poem? Which tree does the speaker describe in a positive manner? Which does the speaker describe more negatively? Despite the positive and negative descriptions, which tree does the speaker prefer?

Question 1
The speaker helps the reader understand the differences between the willow and the ginkgo mainly by
A. describing the leaves of the two trees
Does the speaker describe the leaves of the two trees? What lines? Is this the MAIN way the speaker helps the reader understand the differences?

Question 1
The speaker helps the reader understand the differences between the willow and the ginkgo mainly by
B. comparing the beauty of the willow tree to a nymph
Does the speaker compare the beauty of the willow tree to a nymph? What lines? Is this the MAIN way the speaker helps the reader understand the differences?

Question 1
The speaker helps the reader understand the differences between the willow and the ginkgo mainly by
C. creating vivid images using figurative language
Does the speaker use figurative language to create vivid images? What lines? Is this the MAIN way the speaker helps the reader understand the differences?

Question 1
The speaker helps the reader understand the differences between the willow and the ginkgo mainly by
D. explaining the environment in which each tree grows
Does the speaker explain the environment in which each tree grows? What lines? Is this the MAIN way the speaker helps the reader understand the differences?

Question 1
So the correct answer is:

Question 2
What is the meaning of the word crude in line 3?
Over half of you missed this question.

How do we figure this one out? Replace the word with each of the definitions!

Question 2
Line 3 says:
The ginkgo is like a crude sketch, A. The ginkgo is like an uncooked and raw sketch, B. The ginkgo is like a simplistic and elementary sketch, C. The ginkgo is like a related to fossil fuels sketch, D. The ginkgo is like with rude or gross humor sketch,

Question 2
And the correct answer is:

Question 3
Why does the speaker italicize the final two lines of the poem?
A. She wants to draw attention to the shift in purpose from describing the trees to expressing her feelings about them.
I think we discussed this in our analysis! Let s keep looking at the other answers first.

Question 3
Why does the speaker italicize the final two lines of the poem?
B. She wants to highlight her preference for the willow tree over the ginkgo tree.

Is that what we decided in our analysis?

Question 3
Why does the speaker italicize the final two lines of the poem?
C. She wants to distinguish the opinions she expresses about the trees from the facts she has presented.
Did the speaker express opinions? Did the speaker express facts?

Question 3
Why does the speaker italicize the final two lines of the poem?
D. She wants to persuade the reader to plant both these types of trees.

Has the speaker done anything to persuade you to plant these trees?

Question 3
The correct answer is:

Question 4
Which line best communicates the speakers admiration for the ginkgo?
Before we can even answer this question, we need to know what admiration means.

Question 4
Admiration is a feeling of wonder, pleasure, or approval.
I took a couple of minutes to look this up in the dictionary to make sure I understood the question, even though I had a pretty good idea of what it means.

Question 4
Which line best communicates the speakers admiration for the ginkgo?
A. The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull.
That doesn t sound much like wonder, pleasure, or approval.

Question 4
Which line best communicates the speakers admiration for the ginkgo?
B. The ginkgo is like a crude sketch,
What did we decide about crude in question 2? Does this show wonder, pleasure, or approval?

Question 4
Which line best communicates the speakers admiration for the gingko?
C. Thrust against the metal sky,
Does this show wonder, pleasure, or approval?

Question 4
Which line best communicates the speakers admiration for the gingko?
D. Somehow it survives and even thrives.
This sounds like wonder, pleasure, or approval. The speaker is showing that despite all the negatives about the tree, it does something amazing.

Question 4
The best answer choice is:

Question 5
The poet uses figurative language in the 4th and 5th stanzas to show that

Do I really have to go back and check the poem?

Question 5
The poet uses figurative language in the 4th and 5th stanzas to show that
In these two stanzas, the speaker describes the willow as two beautiful creatures while describing the ginkgo as a weed.

Question 5
The poet uses figurative language in the 4th and 5th stanzas to show that
A. The willow is favored by royalty for its beauty, while the ginkgo is preferred by city dwellers
Does this answer match our analysis? In these two stanzas, the speaker describes the willow as two beautiful creatures while describing the ginkgo as a weed.

Question 5
The poet uses figurative language in the 4th and 5th stanzas to show that
B. the willow grows in a pampered environment, while the ginkgo can grow in harsh conditions
Does this answer match our analysis? In these two stanzas, the speaker describes the willow as two beautiful creatures while describing the ginkgo as a weed.

Question 5
The poet uses figurative language in the 4th and 5th stanzas to show that
C. the willow s leaves are green and golden, while the ginkgo s leaves are dull in color
Does this answer match our analysis? In these two stanzas, the speaker describes the willow as two beautiful creatures while describing the ginkgo as a weed.

Question 5
The poet uses figurative language in the 4th and 5th stanzas to show that
D. the willow s beauty makes it incredibly valuable, while the gingko is worth nothing
Does this answer match our analysis? In these two stanzas, the speaker describes the willow as two beautiful creatures while describing the ginkgo as a weed.

Question 5
The correct answer is: