A prompt—executive Bird is the Jay
by Emily Dickinson
A prompt—executive Bird is the Jay—
Bold as a Bailiff’s1 Hymn—
Brittle and Brief in quality—
Warrant2 in every line—
Sitting a Bough3 like a Brigadier4
Confident and straight—
Much is the mien5 of him in March
As a Magistrate6—
legal officer
legal action
branch of a tree
army officer (British)
appearance
judge
I Heard a Bird Sing
By Oliver Herford
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
“We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,”
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
Read both poems.
What literary device is used throughout the poems?
Alliteration
Hyperbole
Pun
Metaphor
2. Read this section of the text:
The kites of the world are generally smaller than most raptors, but just as astonishing in skill and grace as any other hunter of the skies.
What does astonishing mean in this sentence?
Appalling
Amazing
Dreadful
Predictable
answer
The first answer is metaphor because it is like the real thing but in a bird’s way of course.
The second answer is amazing because they are also amazing in that skill and grace.
