Point of View. Point of view is the vantage point from which a poem or story is told. If a poem or story is told from the first-person point of view, the speaker uses the pronouns I and we. If the speaker uses the pronoun you, the writing is in the second-person point of view. In the third-person point of view, the speaker uses words such as he, she, it, and they. As you read the poems, try to determine the point of view used in each.
Tone. Tone is a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject. For example, tone can be considered happy, angry, or sad; nostalgic or eager; serious or light. The tone of a piece of writing or of a speech can include one or more of any of the emotions and attitudes that a writer might reveal. As you read these poems, think about the following questions. What attitudes or emotions does the writer reveal in “First Love”? How do the writer’s attitudes and emotions differ in “Point Guard”?
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• Sports Connection. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891. As a physical education teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts, Naismith wanted to develop an indoor game that would be fun, easy to learn, and vigorous. At first, Naismith used large peach baskets for the hoops and the game earned the name basketball.
• As basketball developed further in the 1900s, changes to the rules streamlined the game. Metal hoops took the place of baskets, and standards called for five players per team on the floor at a time. Players began to specialize in specific positions on the floor. Most modern teams have a center, two forwards, and two guards. A guard often specializes as either a point guard, who runs the team’s offense, or a shooting guard, who takes more outside shots. The center usually stays near the basket, taking close shots and rebounding. Forwards move around and through the key—the painted free-throw area in front of each basket.
What is your favorite sport to watch or play? Describe what you like most about that sport.
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