1a. Where are the two girls? What are they doing?
2a. Who enters this place? What does he do?
3a. What don't the girls do when they see the newcomer?
1b. Why do you think they are there? Why are they smiling?
2b. Why might he have entered this place?
3b. Why do you think they don't?
4a. In what ways does the speaker say the girls might have reacted but didn't?
4b. What do the girls do in reaction to the newcomer? How does the speaker explain their reaction? What is the speaker's main idea in this poem?
Aim. What is the author's main purpose, or goal, in writing this poem? What does he want the reader to think about?
Free Verse. Where in this free verse poem is there a hint of traditional rhyming? What effect does this have on the poem?
Metaphor. What does the metaphor in this poem compare? Is this metaphor effective? Why, or why not?
1. Imagine you are Charles Reznikoff, and turn the poem "Two Girls..." into a short story.
2. Write a possible dialogue that could have taken place between the two girls.
3. Create a new title for the poem you just read. Explain why you chose the title.
Synonyms and Antonyms. A synonym is a word that means the same or nearly the same as another word. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. Make a list of five synonyms and five antonyms for the word askance.
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Adding Colorful Language to Sentences. When you write, use words that tell the reader exactly what you mean. Precise and lively nouns, verbs, and modifiers make your writing more interesting to your reader. Rewrite the following sentences adding colorful language to the sentences.
1. The girl was bored.
2. The town was small.
3. I ate slowly.
4. He looked at the exam.
5. The puppy whined at the door.
6. The fog was thick.
7. The sun beat down hard.
8. The car came to a stop.
9. I read a good book.
10. The dog chased a bird.
Find a Partner. Select one person to be the interviewer and the other to be Charles Reznikoff. In this project, the interviewer will be asking Charles Reznikoff about his life, his work, and what inspired him to write the poem "Two Girls . . . ." The other person will respond. To find the information you need to form appropriate questions and answers, you will need to do some research on Charles Reznikoff. Then write a list of questions that link with the information you have gathered. You may need to make up some of the answers, but try to be as factual as possible. After practicing, videotape or audiotape your interview and share it with the rest of the class. For more help on conducting an interview, refer to the Language Arts Survey 4.14 "Conducting an Interview." Use the space below to record questions and answers for your interview.
Question:
Answer:
