ENG1DB PRACTICE Poetry Analysis Test 1A Sample StudentResponsesfor“The Child Who Walks Backwards” by Lorna Crozia

  • Below are some of the BEST studentresponses from section #1A for the PRACTICE Poetry Analysis Test that exemplify effective poetry analysis skills, an accurate interpretation of the poem, anddeveloped critical thinking skills. Consider that some of these responses may still need work, but they are definitely on the right track! Consider: What are the positive aspects of each response, and what are some areas that still require improvement? Use these answer examples to help you structure your own responses on the actual Poetry Analysis Test (please remember that this evaluation will be written in-class on Monday March26th).

QUESTION #1:

Identify and explain the tone of this poem. Connect to the speaker’s word choice to help you. Include a direct quotation from the poem as support for your observations. (5 marks)

ANSWER:

The tone that is conveyed by the speaker is a questioning tone. The tone is conveyed in the second stanza of the poem when the speaker states, “This child who climbed my maple with the sureness of a cat, rips in his room, cracks his skull on the bedpost, smacks his cheeks on the floor”. The questing tone is undeniably conveyed through this quotation, because when the speaker states the first part, it contradicts all of the reasons the mother has given for her child’s injuries. Throughout the poem, the speaker is either questioning what the mother is telling them, because the child seemed to be fine, or questioning what truly happened to the child to make him change so drastically. This causes the reader to regard the poem in a different manner, where they can clearly see the mother of “the child who walks backwards” as an evil figure who could be inflicting this harm on her own child. (Great job, Khushi!)

QUESTION #2:

What is the theme of this poem? What main message is the author/speaker attempting to impart on his readers?Include a direct quotation from the poem as support for your observations.(5 marks)

ANSWER:

The theme of this poem is how abusive parents cover-up their actions. This is proven when the speaker says, “This child who climbed my maple with the sureness of a cat, rips in his room, cracks his skull on the bedpost, smacks his cheeks on the floor”. It is undeniable that this quotation proves that the theme is how abusive parents can cover-up or hide from their actions, because when the speaker mentions that the child climbed their maple with the sureness of a cat, and then goes on to talk about how the child “rips in his room” and “cracks his head on the bedpost”, this proves that his mother is abusive, because if the child can climb a maple tree with the sureness of a cat, then he is not clumsy or reckless like he seems to be when his mother is talking about him. In reality, it is truly undeniable that his mother is the one abusing him, as a child who can confidently climb a tree and not hurt himself is not reckless and self-harming. Therefore, the theme is how abusive parents attempt to cover-up their horrifying actions. (A wonderful and thoughtful response, Haneen! Great inferencing!)

ANSWER:

It is undeniable that the theme conveyed in the poem, “The Child Who Walks Backwards” is the importance of questioning the hidden truth. Throughout the poem, the speaker does not talk directly to the son/child, proven when the speaker states, “she says” and “his mother tells me”. In the last stanza, the speaker also states, “while she lies sleeping”. This specific wording conveys that the reader has been questioning the mother about her son’s injuries. This seems polite enough, however, in the last stanza, the speaker is convinced there is something wrong, because the mother just lies there. This results in this theme, because the mother of the child is seemingly telling lies about her child, and how he is becoming injured. The speaker, however, continues to question the mother because of the facts they already know. The hidden truth behind what is actually happening to the child is not revealed in the poem specifically, but the readers are able to infer that the injuries and abuse are the mother’s doing. (Another fantastic response from Khushi!)

QUESTION #3:

Identify and explain the purpose and effect of onepoetic or figurative languagedevice used in this poem. Include a direct quotation from the poem as support for your observations.(5 marks)

ANSWER:

One figurative language device used in the poem is a simile in line 9 when the speaker says, “plummet like a wounded bird down the flight of stairs”. This is a simile because it uses the word “like” to compare the boy to a wounded bird. It is important to the poem, because it emphasizes how broken he is by the state he is in. Normally a bird is proud and soaring, but a wounded bird is the opposite. He is wounded because he is bothered and hurt so much that he cannot really ‘soar’ anymore. (Good work, Alissa!)

A BONUS SAMPLE QUESTION AND ANSWER:

Identify and explain the purpose and effect of twofigurative language devices used in this poem.

In Lorna Crozia’s poem, “The Child Who Walks Backwards”, she uses figurative language expertly in order to explore the horrors of child abuse. One clear example of a meaningful simile used in the poem to exemplify the violence that is being inflicted upon the neighbour child is seen when the speaker states, “…plummet like a wounded bird/down the flight of stairs”. The comparison that is made between the child and a wounded bird effectively indicates that the child is already injured before they fall down the stairs, in addition to emphasizing the innocence and helplessness of the child. Also, the diction in this poem is vivid and purposeful, proven with Crozia’s use of the word “plummet”, which reinforces the force and momentum behind the child’s fall; this fall was not an accident. Next, Crozia uses a powerful metaphor in the poem in order to highlight the fact that the neighbour child’s injuries have not been caused because of his/her accident-prone nature, but instead, that the child is being savagely abused at home. This metaphor is seen when the speaker says, “This child who climbed my maple/with the sureness of a cat,” to once again emphasize the fact that the child’s described injuries were not caused by accident. This metaphor is particularly poignant because it provides the reader with a brief glimpse into a moment of childlike behaviour that has been tainted by the abuse the child is forced to endure. Many children will climb trees, and play outside, and this cat-like, youthful agility is meant to contrast the wounded bird simile mentioned in the previous lines. Consequently, both the simile and the metaphor are used to prove that the child has been harmed intentionally by his mother.