Analyzing the Text
Cite Text Evidence
Support your responses with evidence from the poem.
1. Infer The poem begins with an allusion to the Grand Coulee Dam, built on the Columbia River in the mid-20th century and widely considered to be an engineering marvel. Reread lines 1–3. What is the speaker’s view of the mighty dam? Tell what image helps you understand the speaker’s feelings about the dam.
2. Interpret Identify the imagery in lines 4–5. To what senses does it appeal? Explain what this image suggests about the power of the speaker’s feelings.
3. Analyze The technique in which a sound, word, or phrase is repeated for emphasis as well as to create rhythm is called repetition. Identify the phrase that is repeated in this poem. What is the effect of this repetition?
4. Infer When will the speaker show forgiveness? Identify the lines in the poem that help you answer.
5. Draw Conclusions Powwows are gatherings where Native Americans of North America share dancing, music, and other cultural traditions.What phrases from the poem suggest what will happen at “The Powwow at the End of the World”?
6. Evaluate The tone of a poem expresses the speaker’s attitude toward the subject being addressed. Here are some words that can describe tone: lighthearted, humorous, sharp, gloomy, angry, grateful, defiant, reflective, energetic, ironic.What word describes the tone of this poem? Explain your choice.Then read part of the poem aloud to express the tone.
PERFORMANCE TASK
Speaking Activity: Discussion The speaker in the poem makes allusions to stories about salmon. Do research to locate a retelling of a salmon myth originating among the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast.
• Find a retelling of a myth such as “Salmon Boy,”“The Legend of the Lost Salmon,” or “How Salmon Came
to the Squamish.”
• After reading the myth, compare and contrast its ideas about the significance of salmon with those mentioned in the poem. How does the poem reflect traditional ideas in a new way?
• Discuss your conclusions with your classmates.
RL 1, RL 4, RL 9, W 7, W 9