Narrative Poem. A narrative poem is a verse that tells a story. Like a work of fiction, a narrative poem has a character or characters, a setting, a plot, and a theme. This narrative poem describes a yearly cycle in the life of one person. The poem tells the reader about the ox cart man’s life from October to November, but in doing so, reveals how the man works through the rest of the year. As you read, look for information about what the ox cart man does in the winter, spring, and summer.
Concrete Language. A concrete word, like cloud or airplane, names something that can be directly seen, tasted, touched, heard, or smelled. Concrete language is particularly effective when it is as specific and detailed as possible. For example, the phrase Charlie collapsed on the wobbly stool is more precise than the boy sat down on the chair. By carefully choosing specific words to describe objects and actions, a writer can portray a much more vivid picture of what is happening in a poem or story. Look at the first two lines of “Ox Cart Man.” What specific information does the poet offer?
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• Donald Hall wrote this poem after hearing the story about the ox cart man from a cousin in their hometown of Wilmot, New Hampshire. According to Hall, this is how it happened: “Paul was a great storyteller. His face would crinkle a little bit and the corners of his mouth would turn up. You’d know he was thinking of a story. So Paul said, ‘Did you ever hear the story about the fella used to live around here? Every autumn he loaded up his cart,’ and then told me pretty much that story. My spine shivered. I don’t know if I knew at that moment that I was going to write about it, but I began the next morning and I took about a year making that little poem.”
• Donald Hall admires the cyclical life of the ox cart man. He says, “A life of productive work that sustains itself by expending itself is also the life of a perennial plant that dies down in the fall and comes up again in the spring.”
Use a graphic organizer like this to keep track of what the ox cart man does during each season of the year.
What routines do you follow?
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