Process:
1. Read the poem provided in this post.
2. Analyze the poem while considering the provided prompt.
3. Write a paragraph in which you respond to the prompt.
4. Write a poem inspired/motivated by the poem.
Poem:
“The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Prompt:
Write a paragraph in which you analyze the author’s use of imagery (language that appeals to any of the senses). What is the impact of this artistic choice on the poem and how does the author connect it to her attitude about life?
Your Paragraph:
Use this space to write your paragraph in which you respond to the given prompt. Please use the Claim, Evidence, Warrant method in which you present a claim that responds to the prompt, provide two pieces of evidence from the text that prove your claim, and provide a warrant in which you explain how those pieces of evidence prove your claim. You do not need an extensive introduction or conclusion. Please limit your response to only one paragraph.
Response Poem:
Use this space to write your poem in response to “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver. There are no length/rhyme/rhythm requirements. The only requirement is that you allow yourself to be inspired by the poem you just read. Be creative and trust your instincts!
Answers
Answer:
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?