1. Personal Connections Which poem did you enjoy the most? Why? Comprehension 2. Reading Check (a) In “The Soldier of Mictlán,” what three things does the soldier ask for? Does he get them? (b) In “Elliptical,” how does each sentence end? (c) What does the speaker’s little sister in “Fences” do to cause her mother to react? 3. Strategy: Make Inferences (a) Give an example of an inference you made about each poem and the text evidence that supports it. (b) In what ways did making inferences affect your perception and understanding of the poems? Analysis and Discussion 4. (a) Make Inferences What does the phrase “Once upon a time” in line 1 of “The Soldier of Mictlán” suggest about the poem? (b) Analyze What irony do you find in the phrase “But all was dead”in line 26? (c) Interpret What theme, or insight about life, does this poem convey? Explain. 5. (a) Analyze In the first several sentences of “Elliptical,” what is the speaker’s attitude toward “them”? (b) Analyze Identify a line in the poem where the speaker’s attitude begins to shift. (c) Evaluate What is the purpose of the author’s use of the ellipses in the poem? Is their use effective? Why, or why not? 6. (a) Analyze In “Fences,” what is the speaker’s tone, or attitude, toward the turistas? Which details led to your response? (b) Contrast What differences do you see between the actions of the turistas and those of the speaker’s brother? (c) Interpret What fences might the poem’s title refer to? Are those fences literal or figurative, or both? 7. Get Ready for Close Reading Choose a passage from the poems that you find especially interesting or important. You’ll discuss the passage with your group during Close-Read activities.