1. After the Winter By: Claude Mckay

3. Information about McKay
Jamaican- American writer and poet
At seven years old Mckay was sent to live with his brother to get the best education
Mckay started to write poetry at the age of ten
In 1977 Mckay was named National Poet

4. Structure of Poem 2 stanzas 16 lines End rhyme Ballad
Some day, when trees have shed their leaves
     And against the morning’s white
The shivering birds beneath the eaves
     Have sheltered for the night,
We’ll turn our faces southward, love,
     Toward the summer isle
Where bamboos spire the shafted grove
     And wide-mouthed orchids smile.
And we will seek the quiet hill
     Where towers the cotton tree,
And leaps the laughing crystal rill,
     And works the droning bee.
And we will build a cottage there
     Beside an open glade,
With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,
     And ferns that never fade.
2 stanzas
16 lines
End rhyme
Ballad

5. Speaker of Poem
The speaker of the poem is someone who worked hard their entire life and now they get to move on and start over.

6. Literary elements Personification- when animals, or
objects are given human qualities.
Imagery- gives images of some lines
in a poem.

7. IMAGERY “And we will build a cottage there, beside and open glade”
Connection might be that this might be the house he wants to live in

8. Imagery “Some day, when the trees have shed their leaves
And against the mornings white”
Connection might be that he is
turning over a new leaf or
staring over.

9. Literal meaning
The literal meaning in this poem is that one day fall will change into winter and then it will change again to a warmer season when flowers bloom.

10. Figurative Meaning The first stanza represents the speaker old life.
The second stanza represents a that the speaker is starting over

11. Personification “And leaps the laughing crystal rill”
“Wide mouthed orchids smile”

12. Authors Purpose
McKay was showing that if you work hard one day their will be something good that will come out of it.

13. Theme
The theme of this poem is that if you work hard there will be a reward someday.

14. Websites Used