Compare Genres: Poetry, Drama, and Prose - Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

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Compare Genres: Poetry, Drama, and Prose
Practice
1
Part 1 READING:
LITERATURE
1.2 Craft and Structure
Read the poem and answer the questions below. Write your answers on the lines.
The Sea Turtles of South Padre Island
Tiny turtles along the beach
Rushing toward water out of reach.
Hatched from eggs buried in the sand,
The baby turtles must leave the land.
As the tiny turtles
make their way
Above them circle
birds of prey.
Every year this same
mad race,
Every year in this
same place.
Their flippers propel
them to the sea,
Their instinct telling
them to flee.
Tiny turtles along the beach
Rushing toward the water within their reach.
1. Rewrite the first verse of the poem “The Sea Turtles of South Padre Island.”
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem “The Sea Turtles of South Padre Island”?
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3. Do lines 3 and 4 of the poem have the same meter?
2
Part 1 READING:
LITERATURE
1.2 Craft and Structure
Read the story and answer the questions below. Write your answers on the lines.
A Slick of Slime
There once was a girl named Annabelle, who lived in a tiny little village
at the mouth of a great big river. One day, Annabelle noticed that the usually
shimmering water looked slimy and brown. She dashed home to tell Aunt
Alice what she had seen.
“Our poor, poor river,” her aunt cried. “It’s terribly upsetting that many
people treat the river as their own personal trash can.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Annabelle wailed.
Aunt Alice thought for a moment. “Well, we can teach people why our
great river is so valuable. We can ask them to help clean up the river.”
Wasting no time, Annabelle raced to the library to find out all she could
about water conservation. She made and hung posters around town. She even
organized a village-wide river clean-up. Soon, the river’s shimmer began to
return.
Aunt Alice was proud of Annabelle. Annabelle glowed because she had
made a difference. The river was beautiful once again.
1. In what point of view is “A Slick of Slime” written?
2. Briefly summarize the plot of the story.
3. How does the mood of the story change from beginning to end?
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3
Part 1 READING:
LITERATURE
1.2 Craft and Structure
Read this scene from the play, “The Surprise” and answer the questions below.
Write your answers on the lines.
The Surprise
Setting: A park in a large city in the summer
Characters: Tia, a sad little girl; Pilar, Tia’s best friend; Tommy, Tia’s
brother; Mom, Tia’s mother
SCENE 1
A girl, Tia, swings at the swing set alone with her head down.
TIA: (sadly) I can’t believe everyone forgot my birthday. When Mom said
that we were having a picnic, I thought it was a surprise party. But when
we got here, there was no cake. No presents. Not even a card.
(Pilar enters.)
PILAR: (excitedly) Come on Tia, it’s time for lunch!
(Tia gets up slowly and stands next to Pilar. She looks offstage and
smiles.)
TOMMY: (offstage) Surprise!
1. According to the list of characters, who is Pilar?
2. What is the setting of the play?
3. Based on the dialogue, why is Tia upset?
4. What do the stage directions at the end of the scene tell you about Tia?
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4
Part 1 READING:
LITERATURE
1.2 Craft and Structure
Now compare the three kinds of literature, poetry, drama, and prose by answering these
questions. Print this page when your done.
1. How do the elements of the story “A Slick of Slime,” and the play “The Surprise” differ?
2. How do the elements of the play “The Surprise,” and the poem “The Sea Turtles of South
Padre Island” differ?
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