Think of a person whom you admire, possibly the person you described in the Reader’s Journal activity on page 251 of your textbook. Close your eyes and create a detailed image of that person. Focus on how the person looks, including what the person is wearing and how the person sounds and smells. Then, consider the reasons you respect the person. What does he or she represent? How could you visualize this importance? Write a poem describing the person. Be sure to use as many sensory details as possible. Consider using figurative language to capture the personality and importance of the subject.
1. Follow along in the text as your teacher reads the first five lines of “Women.” How do you picture the women in your mind? Which senses does Walker appeal to in these first lines? In your notebook, quickly sketch the image you visualize. Write a one- or two-sentence description of your visualization.
2. Read the remainder of the poem independently. Stop every several lines to picture the women described by Walker. Keep in mind that the author uses figurative language to help readers visualize the subject. When you have completed the poem, either sketch or describe in a paragraph the image created by Walker.
If you have difficulty visualizing the subject of the poem, try refocusing to gather clues about the images presented. First, view the painting that accompanies the poem. Then, read the poem in short segments. After each segment, write down the character quality portrayed. Then, imagine how a woman with that quality might appear. When you have finished the poem, consider whether the woman in the painting resembles the image Walker presents in her poem.
Share your sketch or description with two or three other students. Discuss how your works are similar and different. Then, discuss as a group the qualities of women Walker captures with her use of imagery.