Bell Ringer

1
Bell Ringer

• How do words affect us?
• Take two minutes to write three sentences or draw
  a picture to describe how you think words affect
  us.

2
How does language affect us?

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?veFgRj-5d5Ac

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How Does Language Affect Us?Black Cat By
Christopher Myers
4

• black cat, black cat,
• cousin to the concrete
• creeping down our city streets
• where do you live,
• where will we meet?

5
Voice

• Is the voice in the poem the cat or someone else?
• Do they know everything that is going on in the
  story?
• What is this type of narrator called?

6
Symbol, Repetition Rhythm

• Did you find a symbol in this stanza?
• What do you think it means when Myers writes
  cousin to the concrete?
• Do you notice anything about repetition and
  rhyme?
• What does it tell us about the poem?

• black cat, black cat,
• cousin to the concrete
• creeping down our city streets
• where do you live,
• where will we meet?

7

• sauntering like rainwater down storm drains
• between Cadillac tires and the curb
• sipping water from fire hydrants
• dancing to the banging beats of passing jeeps

8
Simile Alliteration

• Did you find a simile in this stanza?
• What do you think it means when Myers writes
  sauntering like rainwater down storm drains?
• Did you notice an example of alliteration?
• What do you think it means when Myers writes
  about the banging beats of passing jeeps?

• sauntering like rainwater down storm drains
• between Cadillac tires and the curb
• sipping water from fire hydrants
• dancing to the banging beats of passing jeeps

9

• do you nod hello to the people you meet
• over yellow subway seats?
• black cat, black cat,
• we want to know
• wheres your home,
• where do you go?

10
Personification Rhyming

• Did you find an example of personification in
  this stanza?
• What do you think it means when Myers writes do
  you nod hello to the people you meet?
• Did you notice anything about rhyming patterns?
• What does it tell us about the poem?

• do you nod hello to the people you meet
• over yellow subway seats?
• black cat, black cat,
• we want to know
• wheres your home,
• where do you go?

11

• crossing basketball
• courts and no-netted
• hoops
• slam-dunking yourself
• through a thin orange
• halo
• tiptoeing across the
• click-clacking glow
• of bodega lights

12
Conveying the Message

• Did you find any literary devices in these
  stanzas?
• What do you think Myers meant?

• crossing basketball
• courts and no-netted
• hoops
• slam-dunking yourself
• through a thin orange
• halo
• tiptoeing across the
• click-clacking glow
• of bodega lights