“The Scarlet Ibis” By James Hurst

From: “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst 1. It was the clove of seasons, summer dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit 2. in the bleeding tree. The flower garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia petals, and 3. Ironweeds grew rank amid the purple phlox. The five o’clocks by the chimney still marked time 4. but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. 5. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field 6. and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead. 7. It’s strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that that summer has long since fled and 8. time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the 9. kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a 10. silvery dust. The flower garden is prim, the house a gleaming white, and the pale fence across 11. the yard stands straight and spruce. But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green- 12. draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away – and 13. I remember Doodle. 14. Doodle was just about the craziest brother a boy ever had. Of course, he wasn’t a crazy, 15. crazy like old Miss Leedie, who was in love with President Wilson and wrote him a letter every 16. day, but was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams. He was born when I was six 17. and was, from the outset, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was 18. red and shriveled like an old man’s. Everybody thought he was going to die – everybody except 19. Aunt Nicey, who had delivered him. She said he would live because he was born in a caul and 20. cauls were made from Jesus’ nightgown. Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little 21. mahogany coffin for him. But he didn’t die, and when he was three months old, Mama and 22. Daddy decided they might as well name him. They named him William Armstrong, which was 23. like tying a big tail on a small kite. Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone. 24. I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, 25. or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp, and I wanted more than anything else someone 26. race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch with in the top fork of 27. the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and swamps you could see the sea. 28. I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would 29. never do those things with me. He might not, she sobbed, even be “all there.” He might, as 30. long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the front bedroom where the white 31. marquisette curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds.

Prompts for Vocabulary “The Scarlet Ibis” In line 1, highlight the phrase that means between seasons. In line 1, highlight the noun that describes any of several large wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae, of warm temperate and tropical regions, related to the herons and storks, and characterized by a long, thin, downward-curved bill. In line 2, highlight the phrase that describes any tree from which gum and sap drains. In line 3, highlight the adjective that means offensively strong, as a smell or taste. In line 3, highlight the verb that refers to identifying or setting time. In line 4, highlight the adjective that means unoccupied. In line 8, highlight the noun that refers to a rotating solid stone wheel used for sharpening, shaping, etc. In line 10, highlight the adjective that describes something that is stiffly neat. In line 12, highlight the noun that names a room for the reception and entertainment of visitors to one's home. In line 19, highlight the noun that describes embryonic birth sac sometimes covering the head of a child at birth. In line 31, highlight the noun referring to a lightweight open fabric of leno weave in cotton, rayon, silk, or nylon. In line 31, highlight the noun naming a type of palm tree.

From: “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst 1. It was the clove of seasons, summer dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit 2. in the bleeding tree. The flower garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia petals, and 3. Ironweeds grew rank amid the purple phlox. The five o’clocks by the chimney still marked time 4. but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. 5. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field 6. and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead. 7. It’s strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that that summer has long since fled and 8. time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the 9. kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a 10. silvery dust. The flower garden is prim, the house a gleaming white, and the pale fence across 11. the yard stands straight and spruce. But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green- 12. draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away – and 13. I remember Doodle. 14. Doodle was just about the craziest brother a boy ever had. Of course, he wasn’t a crazy, 15. crazy like old Miss Leedie, who was in love with President Wilson and wrote him a letter every 16. day, but was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams. He was born when I was six 17. and was, from the outset, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was 18. red and shriveled like an old man’s. Everybody thought he was going to die – everybody except 19. Aunt Nicey, who had delivered him. She said he would live because he was born in a caul and 20. cauls were made from Jesus’ nightgown. Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little 21. mahogany coffin for him. But he didn’t die, and when he was three months old, Mama and 22. Daddy decided they might as well name him. They named him William Armstrong, which was 23. like tying a big tail on a small kite. Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone. 24. I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, 25. or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp, and I wanted more than anything else someone 26. race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch with in the top fork of 27. the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and swamps you could see the sea. 28. I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would 29. never do those things with me. He might not, she sobbed, even be “all there.” He might, as 30. long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the front bedroom where the white 31. marquisette curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds.

Prompt for summary “The Scarlet Ibis” In line 1, highlight the words that describe what time of year is being described. In lines 1 and 2, highlight what it was that happened at that time of year. In lines 3-5, highlight the significant features of this moment in time. (Hint, there are at least 3.) In line 7, highlight how the seasons have changed. In lines 8-11, the narrator describes how things are different than in the first paragraph. Highlight how these changes are described. In line 12, the narrator uses the “grindstone” to symbolize the changes of time. Highlight how this is stated. In line 13, highlight who or what the narrator of the story remembers. In line 14, highlight how the narrator describes Doodle. In lines 16 – 18, highlight how old the narrator was when Doodle was born a and how he describes him. In lines 19-20, highlight why Aunt Nicey thought Doodle would not die. In lines 20-21, highlight what Daddy had built for him. In line 21, highlight how old Doodle was when he was named. In line 22, highlight what he was named and in line 23, highlight where the narrator says such a name sounds good. In lines 24-25, the narrator describes what he’s good at and what things he’d like to have someone else to do with him. Highlight what he’s good at. In lines 25-27, highlight what things he’d like to do and have someone to share it with. In line 28, highlight what he wanted. I lines 28-30, highlight what Mama told him about what might happen with Doodle.

From: “The Scarlet Ibis “ by James Hurst 1. It was the clove of seasons, summer dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit 2. in the bleeding tree. The flower garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia petals, and 3. Ironweeds grew rank amid the purple phlox. The five o’clocks by the chimney still marked time 4. but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. 5. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field 6. and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead. 7. It’s strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that that summer has long since fled and 8. time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the 9. kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a 10. silvery dust. The flower garden is prim, the house a gleaming white, and the pale fence across 11. the yard stands straight and spruce. But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green- 12. draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away – and 13. I remember Doodle. 14. Doodle was just about the craziest brother a boy ever had. Of course, he wasn’t a crazy, 15. crazy like old Miss Leedie, who was in love with President Wilson and wrote him a letter every 16. day, but was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams. He was born when I was six 17. and was, from the outset, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was 18. red and shriveled like an old man’s. Everybody thought he was going to die – everybody except 19. Aunt Nicey, who had delivered him. She said he would live because he was born in a caul and 20. cauls were made from Jesus’ nightgown. Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little 21. mahogany coffin for him. But he didn’t die, and when he was three months old, Mama and 22. Daddy decided they might as well name him. They named him William Armstrong, which was 23. like tying a big tail on a small kite. Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone. 24. I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, 25. or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp, and I wanted more than anything else someone 26. race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch with in the top fork of 27. the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and swamps you could see the sea. 28. I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would 29. never do those things with me. He might not, she sobbed, even be “all there.” He might, as 30. long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the front bedroom where the white 31. marquisette curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds.

Prompts for Craft – “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst In line 1, the author describes the time as “the clove of seasons”. In that line, highlight when that is. Foreshadowing is a hint of something yet to happen. In line 1 underline the phrase that foreshadows something coming. In line 3, the author refers to “five o’clocks”, a type of flower that opens at five o’clock in the afternoon. Highlight what they still do. The author, James Hurst, uses “diction” or choice words and phrases to create “atmosphere”. In lines 2-3, highlight the words the author uses to describe the atmosphere of the season, and how things look. In lines 5 and 6, is an examples of personification, give human attributes to non-human objects. Underline the thing or object that was speaking softly - an example of personification. Highlight the phrase in line 6 that describes the personification. In line 6 the author is suggesting something that is to come. Underline the words that might allude to what is to come. In lines 7 and 8, highlight how the author describes time having passed . Imagery is descriptive language that deals with any of the five senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste), and even movement. In lines 9 and 10, the author uses metaphor and personification to describe the change in the bird’s song. Highlight how the author does that. In lines 10 and 11, the narrator uses imagery to give us a visual picture of how things look. Highlight the words that help create that image.  Foreshadowing is a hint of things to come. In lines 12-13, highlight the specific words and phrases that indicate a sense of foreshadowing. In line 13, underline with your highlighter the word that suggests that the narrator will be reflecting on something that happened in the past. (This is sometimes referred to as a flashback.) In line 14, highlight the word the narrator uses to indicate the brother is no longer alive. In lines 14-16, the narrator describes Doodle as crazy. Highlight what the narrator says about Doodle that makes his type of crazy different from Miss Leedie. In line 17, highlight the word the author uses to inform us that the Doodle was not going to be like other people. In lines 17 and 18, highlight the specific words the narrator uses to identify how Doodle is different or perhaps, a disappointment. In line 18, underline the simile comparing Doodle with an old man. In line 23, highlight the simile regarding the name. In lines 23, highlight the statement the suggests William Armstrong might not be up to his name. Another example of foreshadowing occurs at the end of line 23. In line 23,underline the words that perhaps foreshadow things or events to come.  In line 28, highlight what the narrator wanted. This could also be foreshadowing as it is something he “wanted”. In lines 28-30, highlight the words the author uses to tell us that William Armstrong will never be the brother the narrator wants. In line 31, highlight the simile that describes how the curtains billowed.   

From: “The Scarlet Ibis “ by James Hurst 1. It was the clove of seasons, summer dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit 2. in the bleeding tree. The flower garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia petals, and 3. Ironweeds grew rank amid the purple phlox. The five o’clocks by the chimney still marked time 4. but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. 5. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field 6. and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead. 7. It’s strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that that summer has long since fled and 8. time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the 9. kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a 10. silvery dust. The flower garden is prim, the house a gleaming white, and the pale fence across 11. the yard stands straight and spruce. But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green- 12. draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away – and 13. I remember Doodle. 14. Doodle was just about the craziest brother a boy ever had. Of course, he wasn’t a crazy, 15. crazy like old Miss Leedie, who was in love with President Wilson and wrote him a letter every 16. day, but was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams. He was born when I was six 17. and was, from the outset, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was 18. red and shriveled like an old man’s. Everybody thought he was going to die – everybody except 19. Aunt Nicey, who had delivered him. She said he would live because he was born in a caul and 20. cauls were made from Jesus’ nightgown. Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little 21. mahogany coffin for him. But he didn’t die, and when he was three months old, Mama and 22. Daddy decided they might as well name him. They named him William Armstrong, which was 23. like tying a big tail on a small kite. Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone. 24. I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, 25. or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp, and I wanted more than anything else someone to 26. race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch with in the top fork of 27. the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and swamps you could see the sea. 28. I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would 29. never do those things with me. He might not, she sobbed, even be “all there.” He might, as 30. long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the front bedroom where the white 31. marquisette curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds.

On the lines provided, write a 4-6 line summary of the text you’ve read and highlighted. Be as explicit (accurate and detailed) as possible in your summary. You may refer back to the text as necessary. When finished, write any questions you have about the text below your summary.

GHR Summary for “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst Your name: ___________________________ Class or Block: _______________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Questions about the text? The story?