Before Reading
Make a Chart
Read about similes on page 883. With a partner, make a list of similes and identify the tenor and vehicle of each. Then make a chart like the one on page 883 to record the similes you find in the poem.
During Reading
Fill in a Chart as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first stanza. Notice the simile in line 1. The tenor and vehicle have been identified as examples in your chart. What do these things have in common?
2. Continue reading on your own, and add similes to your chart as you read.
Fix-Up Idea: Read and Think Aloud
After listening to the selection once, practice reading the selection aloud with a partner. Read until you come to a period. Then stop and do a think aloud with your partner by answering these questions: How does the speaker feel about her baby? How does she feel about being a mother? When you have answered these questions, have your partner read to the next period. Again stop and think aloud. Continue in this way until you have finished the poem.
After Reading
Summarize Your Ideas
Compare simile charts with your partner from the Before-Reading activity. What do these similes tell you about the speaker and her experience as a mother? With your partner, write a brief summary that shows how the similes express the speaker's experience.