Name: ______

Per. ______

Date: ______

Ms.Gonzalez’s Homework Packet

Week 12: Symbolism

*Symbolism* / Demonstrate
Draw
Evaluate
Explain
Identify
Infer
Integrate

Exercise A: Create Word Maps for all of your vocabulary & Spelling Words

Word Map pages should be stapled to this packet. There should be 8 maps total.

Exercise B: Symbolism in Poetry

DIRECTIONS: Read the poem by Langston Hughes. Then complete the assignment that follows.

Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,5
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,10
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.15
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Identify the major symbol in this poem, and explain what you believe it symbolizes. Cite lines in the poem that caused you to choose this particular symbolism.

______

Exercise B: Symbolism Practice

  1. Both parties stared at one another with tense apprehension. As if on cue, each of their leaders stepped forward to face one another. The leader from the Denali Clan slowly began to draw something from behind his back. Every member from the Zel Pack held their breath and placed their hands on the weapons ready to strike at the first sign of hostility. The Denali leader finally removed his hand fully from his back to reveal what he had in his hand, which was a perfect and docile dove. Both sides breathed a sigh of relief and quietly retreated.
/ What does the dove symbolize?
  1. The boy looked at the girl with passion in his eyes as he dropped down onto one knee. He reached for her hand as he said, “I want to spend everyday of the rest of forever with you.” The girl looked down at her hand to see a sparkling diamond ring glinting in the moonlight.
/ What does the diamond ring symbolize?
  1. The sun was shining brightly as the young child skipped through the meadow of daisies. The child’s white sundress blended in almost perfectly with the flowers around her. She continued on skipping only coming to a stop when she heard a strange noise in close proximity. Heart pounding the girl pushed aside a bouquet of flowers and then let out a peal of laughter when she discovered that the thing that caused her momentary concern was a snow white lamb.
/ What objects were used to symbolize innocence?
  1. The rain appeared to be coming down in sheets the evening of Molly’s cousin’s funeral. Molly sat on the edge of her bed watching the dark clouds roll through the sky, watching the light dim from the sky, and listening to the clock slowly tick away the seconds. She finally gathered enough strength to reach into her closet to pull out a black dress. Before walking out of her room, Molly bent down and blew out the candle that was resting on her nightstand leaving behind a puff of smoke.
/ What objects were used to symbolize death/sadness?
  1. Amanda flung herself onto her bed as tears dripped down her face. She always thought that she and Ben would be together forever. That was until Ben dropped the bombshell of information on her earlier that day about having feelings for someone else. Amanda turned over onto her side and through her watery eyes she saw the roses that Ben had sent her for her birthday the week before. When she first received them they had been a brilliant red but now they were dulling in color and withered. As she watched a single petal untangled itself from the bouquet and fell to the floor.
/ What did the flowers symbolize when Amanda first received them and what did they symbolize at the end?
  1. Tibby ran away from her assailant, her heart pumping faster than any heart should be able to. She skidded to a halt when she came to a fork in the road barely hesitating before choosing the pathway to her right, not noticing the dead end sign hidden behind overgrown shrubbery. When she came to the end of the dark alley with nowhere else to run Tibby let out a scream of frustration. Within a minute the perpetrator caught up to her. She could see his blood red eyes burning into her and his sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. The last thing Tibby heard was the sound of a crow circling above.
/ What objects were used to symbolize danger/evil?
  1. Lena struggled with the wrapping paper on the small box as her best friend Sam looked on. Sam’s impatience got the best of her and she grabbed the box out of Lena’s hands and opened the box for her. Nestled inside of the box on a bed of tissue paper was a intricately braided bracelet. Lena looked up and said, “Oh, Sam, it is so pretty! Thank you so much!” Sam blushed with happiness and said, “I made it myself and, look, I am wearing one just like it so when we are apart at college next year we can remember each other.”
/ What does the bracelet symbolize?
  1. Everyone in the class stood up at the same time and faced the flag before saying the “Pledge of Allegiance.”
/ What does the flag symbolize?
Dawn was just breaking and the sun was just stretching across the horizon the morning that I was born. Mom said that I was the most beautiful baby that she had ever seen, but I think that she might be just a little bit biased. The day that they brought me home my parents planted a tree in the front yard that was no bigger than a kitten. Thirteen years later that tree has grown bigger than thirteen kittens! / What objects were used to symbolize life?

Exercise A: Identify symbols in your life

Draw 5 symbols that you see/use in every day life. You must draw the symbol and explain its symbolism.

Drawing of Symbol / Explanation of Symbolism

Don’t forget to complete your WORD MAPS!

You need to pick up a copy and staple it to your homework packet!