“In the desert” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

1. “In the desert” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

2. hand” • bestial” • creature” • friend” “In the desert” • squatting” • heart” What does each of these words make you think of? How could you classify these words into different groups? Which word stands out to you the most?

3. How is the creature depicted as a dichotomous being? • What do these contrasting characteristics say about human beings? • What gothic motif might this contrast be most closely related to? Reading the poem

4. In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting on the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. I said, “Is it good, friend?” “It is bitter— bitter,” he answered: “But I like it “Because it is bitter, “And because it is my heart.” “In the desert”

5. What words does Crane associate with the rational side of the creature versus the irrational? • What sounds? • What is the effect of the repetition of the word “bitter”? • What do you think of the creature’s reasoning in the last stanza? Other Questions

6. Write out bell-ringers • Draw connections between the words • Explain on the back Word Map

7. Read independently • Update motif chart • Pick out a most important line/image/moment and write a half page arguing why this is the most important moment of the story. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”