Step 1: Read the poem several times. Step 2: Reflect on your first memory of reading, books, or the library (public or school). Think about where you were, how you felt, what you were reading or listening to someone read to you. Tell me in a few sentences about your memory.

My First Memory (of Librarians)

Nikki Giovanni - 1943

This is my first memory:
A big room with heavy wooden tables that sat on a creaky
wood floor
A line of green shades—bankers’ lights—down the center
Heavy oak chairs that were too low or maybe I was simply
too short
For me to sit in and read
So my first book was always big

In the foyer up four steps a semi-circle desk presided
To the left side the card catalogue
On the right newspapers draped over what looked like
a quilt rack
Magazines face out from the wall

The welcoming smile of my librarian
The anticipation in my heart
All those books—another world—just waiting
At my fingertips.

Construct a written analysis of approximately 300−500 words about the poem “the cremation of sam mcgee.” your analysis should explain how the figurative language and literary devices contribute either to the meaning or to the narrative structure— plot, setting, characterization, and point of view—of the poem. your analysis should contain a thesis that is discussed throughout the essay. the essay should also contain textual evidence to support the analysis and a concluding paragraph. be sure to use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling, and write using a formal style with precise vocabulary. use terms from the list provided below to construct your analysis. ballad—a type of narrative poem that tells a story, usually in the form of a folktale or legend stanza—a division of a poem that consists of two or more lines diction—the selection and use of words that influence the style and tone of the poem connotation—the emotional suggestion or implied meaning of a word that goes beyond its dictionary definition denotation—the actual or dictionary definition of a word rhythm—the recurrence of sound patterns created by a series of stressed and unstressed syllables meter—the pattern of beats within a line of poetry created by the rhythmic structure of stressed sounds rhyme scheme—a pattern of rhymes in poetry tone—the attitude of the poet toward the subject or readers, separate from mood or atmosphere mood—the overall or prevailing feeling that is created in a story or poem theme—the central idea of the story that reveals something about human life or behavior as you write your analysis, consider these questions: what is the function of rhyme in the poem? what would the poem be like if it did not rhyme? how do the rhyme and rhythm affect or enhance the meaning of the poem? how does the use of imagery and figurative language affect the poem? how is the subject matter and conflict affected by the structure of the poem? did i conclude my analysis clearly, supporting my analysis?

Read the excerpt from a supporting opinion of the supreme court’s ruling in plessy v. ferguson, 1896. laws permitting, and even requiring, their separation in places where they are liable to be brought into contact do not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the other, and have been generally, if not universally, recognized as within the competency of the state legislatures in the exercise of their police power. how does this relate to the premises of brown v. board of education? the brown case addresses whether state legislatures are equipped to judge the quality of education offered at segregated schools. the brown case addresses whether authorities believe that one race is inferior to another when creating public schools. the brown case addresses whether these laws inherently deny certain citizens equal protection under the law. the brown case addresses the legality of using police power to monitor public places separated by race.

Which verb or verb phrase signals an inappropriate shift in mood. a) will you let b) should first change c) must attend d) will be served