Step 1: Review the poem “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons below. “Where I’m From”

By George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins,

from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.

I am from the dirt under the back porch.

(Black, glistening

it tasted like beets.)

I am from the forsythia bush,

the Dutch elm

whose long gone limbs I remember

as if they were my own.

I am from fudge and eyeglasses,

from Imogene and Alafair.

I'm from the know-it-alls

and the pass-it-ons,

from perk up and pipe down.

I'm from He restoreth my soul

with cottonball lamb

and ten verses I can say myself.

I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch,

fried corn and strong coffee.

From the finger my grandfather lost

to the auger

the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dress box

spilling old pictures.

a sift of lost faces

to drift beneath my dreams.

I am from those moments --

snapped before I budded --

leaf-fall from the family tree.

Question: Think about how the author’s language influenced your interpretation of the poem. If you were writing a poem about your own life, how would you use language to help your audience understand where you're from? (2-4 full sentences)

Wichita mourning david matherne pipe organs—dusty and tarnished— bellowed the ancient song, as movers carried the pews for one last time. frozen branches—heavy with ice arms— 5 couldn’t perform their dance, as workmen shuffled inside the worn-out floors. sally richards—broken and mourning— watched while her father left, 10 as painters brought in their cans for the first time. stained-glass windows—buckled and broken— surveyed commotion’s cause as commerce won in the end 15 yet one more time. reverend richards—feeble and finished— cried as his exit was lost on christians who worshiped the dime; a change of the times. 20 which of these best summarizes the author's style in this poem? a) each of the five stanzas contains internal rhyme and consistent rhythm. b) each of the five stanzas contains an end rhyme describing a different character. c) each of the five stanzas contains assonance followed by a dash, then a description of the old church. d) each of the five stanzas introduces a character followed by a dash, then a description of that character. 3) in the first line of each stanza, the author follows the pattern of a noun followed by a pair of adjectives. what is the purpose of this pattern? a) the author hopes to create a peaceful feeling for the readers. b) the object and its adjectives are used to create a sense of progress. c) the author uses the pattern to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind. d) the author uses the pattern of man and nature to show the impact of this event.