American

1. American Poetry Lesson 1

2. James Whitcomb Riley (l853-1916). Greenfield, Indiana is the birthplace and boyhood home of the famed "Hoosier Poet," James Whitcomb Riley.  Before his death in 1916, Riley wrote over 1000 poems during his extraordinary literary career, including "Little Orphant Annie" and "When the Frost is on the Pumpkin."

3. Riley Old Home The Riley Home, where James Whitcomb spent his boyhood years, was built in 1850 by his father, Reuben, and is located at 250 West Main Street. The City of Greenfield purchased this home in 1936 and the Riley Old Home Society was established.

4. Narrative Poetry Persona Dialect Poetry is literature that is filled with beauty and imagination. The poet uses language, imagery, rhythm, rhyme, sound effects, and various figures of speech to convey his/her meaning. Poems are written to express the poet’s inner feelings about a subject as well as to enlighten and entertain the reader.

5. Little Orphant Annie Narrative Poem Persona “Little Orphant Annie” is a narrative poem. This means it tells a story. Along with the story, the poet is also revealing certain ideas about how young people should behave. The one telling the story is not necessarily the poet himself but the personality he has created. In poetry we call this storyteller the persona or person who is telling the story. This persona speaks to the reader in his own way using his own personality.

6. Little Orphant Annie Dialect Examples of Dialect In doing this, he uses dialect. Dialect refers to the way people speak in different parts of the country. The persona in this poem speaks the way that people would who live in a rural or country setting in the Midwest. This is why certain words are spelled the way they are. When the reader reads these words as they are spelled, he can hear the dialect.  My Fair Lady http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZqESl-0OkA&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVmU3iANbgk

7. Reading the poem • As you read “Little Orphant Annie” carefully concentrate on its basic meaning. • The speaker or persona in this selection is a young person who is telling the reader about his babysitter (Annie) and how she affected his life and the lives of the other members of his household. • Notice how the poet has broken the final sentence of each stanza into separate words. • He does this so that the reader will slow down and read these words individually.

8. Reading of Poem James Whitcomb Riley's dedication for his 1885 poem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRezYvWsew&feature=related "To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones; The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones; The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones."

9. Little Orphant Annie Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away, An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep; An' all us other childern, when the supper things is done, We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about, An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you Ef you Don't Watch Out!

10. Little Orphant Annie Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,-- So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs, His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl, An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all! An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press, An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I guess; But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout-- An' the Gobble-uns'llgit you Ef you Don't Watch Out!

11. An' one time a little girl 'udallus laugh an' grin, An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood an' kin; An' onc't, when they was "company," an' ole folks was there, She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care! An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide, They was two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side, An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about! An' the Gobble-uns'llgit you Ef you Don't Watch Out!

12. Little Orphant Annie An' little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue, An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo! An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray, An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,-- You better mind yer parents, an' yer teachers fond an' dear, An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear, An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about, Er the Gobble-uns'llgit you Efyou Don't Watch Out

13. 1) Which of the following is NOT one of Annie’s chores? A) baking bread B) sweeping C) weeding the garden D) washing dishes E) keeping the chickens off the porch

16. 2) The one thing that the children like about Annie is A) watching her build the fire in the hearth B) listening to Annie’s ghost stories C) the way she chases after the chickens D) watching her bake

19. 3) One story that Annie tells concerns A) a boy who refused to say his prayers B) another orphan who didn’t like sweeping C) twins who loved to fool people by trading places D) her own family E) the family pet

23. 4) In one story Annie told, a little boy A)ran away from home B)was cruel to his pet dog C)disappeared D)refused to eat his dinner E)lost his clothes Correct

26. 5) Still another story of Annie’s has a little girl who A) threw her food on the floor B) was rude to older company C) played hooky from school D) lost one of her best shoes E) played hide and seek in the house

29. 6) The children love to hear these stories because A) they are frightening B) they teach moral lessons C) they encourage bad behavior D) they are humorous E) they teach good table manners

32. 7) If the children who hear these stories behave in the same manner as the characters in these stories A) they will be rewarded B) they will get extra chores to do C) they will have their privileges taken away D) they will go to Heaven E) the goblins will get them

35. 8) In reality Annie tells these stories to A) frighten the children into behaving properly B) merely to entertain them C) show them how other children act D) get them to act the same way as the children in the stories E) show examples of proper behavior

38. 9) Annie cautions the children hearing her tales to do all but which one of the following: A) mind their parents B) help orphans C) give to the poor D) frighten children younger than they by repeating Annie’s stories E) listen to their teachers

41. 10) In reflecting on the character of Annie, we find that she is A) an orphan B) young C) working for her room and board D) babysitting the children E) all of these

44. 11) A poem that tells a story is a __________ poem. Narrative Poem

45. 13) The way that people speak in various parts of the country is called ___________. Dialect

46. 12) The one who tells the story in a poem is the __________. persona

47. 14) Reread the entire poem in preparation for a writing assignment. Write a good paragraph discussing why Riley has chosen an effective persona (the young child who is in Annie’s care) to tell the reader about this situation. What is this persona able to do that someone else can’t? Open your paragraph with this idea. Give good arguments to support your introductory statement. Round out the paragraph with an effective concluding statement.