1a. How old was Beulah when she saw her first swimming pool? How does she describe the swimmers' arms? What was her reaction to seeing the pool?
2a. Who sits on the other side of the white families at the picnic? What provisions does everyone bring to the picnic? Other than the picnic, what makes this Fourth of July different for Beulah?
3a. What did Beulah watch last August? What two things scare her? What does she wonder about Africa? Where does she believe she came from? What symbol does she notice?
4a. Identify how Beulah feels about her dead husband, her daughters, and her position in society.
5a. Imagine that you are the daughter who said "we're Afro-Americans now!" How do you see your mother? How do you see yourself?
1b. How did Beulah feel when she saw the white people swimming in the pool? How do you know she felt this way?
2b. Why do you think the fact that everyone brings the same food is pointed out in the poem? Does Beulah truly consider her daughters' bringing her to the picnic an "act of mercy"?
3b. What is Beulah scared of? What does her past represent? What does the Goodyear symbol represent?
4b. To what would you attribute Beulah's remembrance of her husband and her unwillingness to change?
5b. If you were Beulah, what would you object to in American society of the 1960s? How would you explain your lack of involvement in the Civil Rights movement?
Allusion. In which lines does Dove allude to the historic Civil Rights march of August 28, 1963? What is the significance of Dove setting this poem on the Fourth of July?
Characterization. Does Dove use direct description, portrayal of the character's behavior, or representations of the character's internal states to depict Beulah?
1. Write a greeting card to commemorate the anniversary of the Civil Rights March on Washington.
2. Imagine you are one of Beulah's daughters. Write a personal proclamation stating the rights you want as an African American.
3. Write a journal entry about the first time you learned about an incident of discrimination because of race, sex, or religion. This might be a personal experience, an event you witnessed, something you read about, or something you heard on the news.
Agreement of Pronouns and Antecedents. Rewrite each sentence below to make every italicized pronoun agree with its antecedent. Star (*) the antecedent.
1. In the United States all people want his civil rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
2. After the Civil Rights Acts of 1866, 1870, 1871, and 1875, African Americans thought her freedoms were closer to the rights of whites.
3. Several states passed its own civil rights laws.
4. According to her wishes, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the most comprehensive civil rights legislation to date, the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
5. The Supreme Court was firm in their decision to desegregate public schools.
Civil Rights Movement. Research an aspect of the Civil Rights movement. Use the following Research Log to record your findings. Then write a short composition summarizing what you have learned.
Notes on the Civil Rights Movement:
Sources Used:
