1a. What does the speaker see the deer doing "in eternity" across the river? What do the deer do next "in real time"?
2a. To what does the speaker compare looking at the deer through binoculars?
3a. What happens when the deer climb over the rim of the canyon? To what does the speaker compare the deer?
1b. Why does the speaker describe one action as taking place "in eternity" and the other as "in real time"?
2b. In what way is looking at the deer through binoculars like each of these things?
3b. What effect does the comparison in the last lines of the poem have on the reader?
4a. Identify the main characteristics of the deer. What two things do they "drink"? Explain whether the speaker means that the deer are literally drinking these two things. What don't they do as they disappear over the rim of the canyon? If you had to describe the deer in a few words, what words would you use?
4b. How long do you think this encounter with the deer really takes? When does the speaker seem to think the encounter is taking a long time? When does the speaker seem to think the encounter is passing by quickly? Even though the speaker does not directly reveal his emotions, how do you think the speaker feels about the deer as the encounter with them comes to a close?
5a. How would you describe the speaker's outward show of emotion both to the departure of the deer and to the people in his life who have also disappeared "without looking back"? What do you think the speaker's inner feelings are toward the "certain people" he has lost? How can you tell?
5b. Compare and contrast how the speaker in "Wildlife Cameo, Early Morn" and the speaker in Amy Lowell's "Night Clouds" respond to natural scenes.
Shape Poem or Concrete Poem.Review your responses in your graphic organizer, then describe the shape of this poem. What do you think the shape is supposed to represent?
Simile.What simile appears in the final lines of the poem? What does this simile reveal about some of the speaker's past relationships?
1. Write a shape poem that is made up of only a word or two. The way in which you place letters on the page should suggest the word itself.
2. Write a simile in which you compare a situation or event in the outside world to one of your own inner feelings using the words like or as.
3. Write a personal essay about someone you once knew whom you never see anymore: what this person meant to you, and how you feel about losing this person.
Compound Words. The word switchback from the Words from Everyday Use for this selection is a compound word, or a word made by joining together two complete words. Other examples of compound words include schoolroom, checkbook, playground, and backyard. Write down ten compound words, and identify the two words that are combined to create each one.
Example back + yard = backyard
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Verbs and Correcting Sentence Fragments. Poets often bend traditional rules of grammar. For example, Ferlinghetti writes, "By the great river Deschutes / on the meadowbank greensward / sun just hitting / the high bluffs / stone cliffs sculpted / high away / across the river." Imagine that you saw these words punctuated as a sentence in an essay. Is there a verb in this sentence? Is this even a sentence? The answer to both questions is no. While it is okay to experiment with the rules of English in a poem, in other forms of writing you should make sure that every sentence has a verb and that you write in complete sentences. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.6, "Identifying Parts of Speech" and 3.36, "Correcting Sentence Fragments." Then make the following sentence fragments into complete sentences.
1. By the great river Deschutes, on the meadowbank greensward, the sun just hitting the high bluffs.
2. At the foot of a steep brown slope a mile away six white-tail deer mute in eternity drinking the river.
3. Then in real time raising heads and climbing up and up a steep faint switchback.
4. The deer over the rim of the canyon.
5. Like certain people in my life, disappearing forever without looking back.
6. In a way, reminding me of some friends I used to have.
7. Often wondering about the connection between people and animals.
8. Poetry that stirs my emotions.
9. The thoughts in the corners of my mind feeding poetry.
10. Timeless classics stored in the pages of books.
Communication Styles and Barriers. Answer the following questions about your own communication style:
1. During a disagreement, do you confront others, or do you try to avoid heated discussions?
2. Do you easily show emotion, or do you try to "keep a stiff upper lip" and remain neutral?
3. Do you have an easy time speaking your mind, or do you find it hard to put your feelings into words?
4. Do you think you listen to others in a discussion, or are you too busy making your own point?
5. After answering the questions above, freewrite a paragraph or two about how you would define your own communication style.
