Question

AUTHOR'S CRAFT

DIRECTIONS: Read the following poems. Then, answer the questions.

Autumn
by Emily Dickinson
The mors are mesker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on.

1. What are some words or phrases in the poem that appeal to the senses?

2. What theme do these examples of imagery express?

Ebb Tide
by Sara Teasdale
When the long day goes by
And I do not see your face,
The old wild, restless sorrow
Steals from its hiding place.

My day is barren and broken,
Bereft of light and song.
A sea beach bleak and windy
That moans the whole day long.

To the empty beach at ebb tide,
Bare with its rocks and scars,
Come back like the sea with singing.
And light of a million stars.

3. What is the low (ebb) tide a symbol of? To what theme does this symbol point?

DEVELOPMENT OF THEME

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Answer 1

1. Words/phrases that appeal to the senses (Autumn):
- "nuts are getting brown" (sight, color)
- "The berry's cheek is plumper" (sight, touch/shape)
- "The maple wears a gayer scarf" (sight, color)
- "The field a scarlet gown" (sight, color)
- "I'll put a trinket on" (touch/visual, small decorative object)

2. Theme those images express:
- The imagery emphasizes visible seasonal change and the beauty of autumn; nature is personified as dressing up, suggesting transformation, celebration of color, and the speaker’s playful willingness to adapt (dress up) with the season.

3. Ebb Tide (symbol and theme):
- The low (ebb) tide symbolizes emptiness, barrenness, and the speaker’s loneliness or sorrow when the loved one is absent. It points to the theme of longing and the restorative power of reunion—when the beloved returns (like the incoming tide) the speaker’s world will be filled again with light, song, and life.