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Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.

And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
5
10
Mark context clues or indicate
another strategy you used that
helped you determine meaning.
shyly (SHY lee) adv.
MEANING:
loneliness (LOHN lee nihs) n.
MEANING:
POETRY
A Blessing 139

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At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts
1
of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom
.
1. tufts (tuhfts) n. bunches of soft material, such as grass.
15
20
Mark context clues or indicate
another strategy you used that
helped you determine meaning.
blossom (BLOS uhm) n.
MEANING:
Explain the simile that appears in lines 20-21: (a) What two unlike things are compared? (b) What quality does this simile give to the pony it describes.

(a) In lines 20-21, the poet compares one of the pony’s ears to

(b) The simile gives a gentle quality to
WRITE LIKE A 6TH GRADER DONT USE Ai!!!!

1 answer

  1. Shyly (SHY lee): The word "shyly" means to behave in a timid or bashful way. It suggests that the ponies are feeling a bit reserved or cautious in our presence.

  2. Loneliness (LOHN lee nihs): The word "loneliness" refers to the feeling of being alone or isolated. In the context of the poem, it suggests that the ponies feel a deep sense of solitude when they are by themselves in the pasture.

  3. Tufts (tuhfts): Tufts means small bunches or clumps of soft material, like grass. In the poem, it refers to the young grass that the ponies are munching on.

  4. Blossom (BLOS uhm): The word "blossom" can refer to a flower that opens up. It gives a feeling of beauty and growth, suggesting that something wonderful is happening.

Explain the simile that appears in lines 20-21:

(a) In lines 20-21, the poet compares one of the pony’s ears to “the delicate skin over a girl’s wrist.”

(b) The simile gives a gentle quality to the pony it describes, showing how soft and fragile the pony's ear is, making it seem graceful and tender.