1. Peeling Back the Layers
“Sister”

2. Essential Questions
How does understanding the sound devices an author uses, contribute to our understanding of the poem?
How does understanding the figurative language an author uses, contribute to our understanding of the poem?
Why is it important to be able to decipher between and understand literal and figurative language?
How does this relate to real life?
Understanding sound devices and figurative language allows you to gain insight to the true or intended meaning.

3. Sister By Leona Gom She is holding my hand but I can’t remember it,
whether it was something automatic
like smiling for the camera
or whether our mother had to say
take her hand, come on.
Mostly we remember
who hit who first,
who was pushed off the sled,
who tattled to father,
all that stale history still
squashed between us 30 years later.
It becomes easier every year
to think it is too late,
we are too different now,
the letter at Christmas as much
as there will ever be.
But still I return to the old albums,
touch the glassy photographs
with their secrets sealed in.
My fingertips find the two small faces
I want to forgive, find
The sister holding my hand.

4. Label Devices
Label the sound devices and figurative language in the excerpt of “Fields of Flashing Light” (on your own).
You may create a graphic organizer to label both the sound devices and the figurative language.
Provide 3-5 sentences that explain the main idea of the poem.

5. Essential Questions
How does understanding the sound devices an author uses, contribute to our understanding of the poem?
By understanding the sound devices an author decides to use in a poem, you gain insight to the meaning and feeling of the poem.
How does understanding the figurative language an author uses, contribute to our understanding of the poem?
By understanding the figurative language an author decides to use in a poem, it will allow you as the reader to discover the author’s intended meaning.
Why is it important to be able to decipher between and understand literal and figurative language?
It is important to decipher literal and figurative meaning because you then realize that a word, phrase or statement can have more than one meaning.