1. The Sea p 623
By James Reeves

2. Six steps to reading a poem
Look at the title---Think about the image it creates.
Read the poem silently---Pay attention to punctuation.
Read the poem out loud---Feel the poem’s rhythm.

3. Six steps to reading a poem
4. Read the poem a third time---Think about the images that come to mind.
5. Use context clues to figure out word meanings.
6. Think about the poem’s meaning. Can you make connections?

4. What images do you think of when you think of the sea?

5. Read the Poem Silently
Notes about Punctuation:

6. Read the Poem out loud
Note the poem’s rhythm
Is there a rhyme scheme?

7. Rhyme Scheme Look at the last word in each line
Assign the first line the letter A
If the next line rhymes with the first line, assign it the letter A. If it does not rhyme with the first line, assign it the letter B.
If the next line rhymes with the first line, assign it the letter A. If it rhymes with the second line, assign it the letter B. If it does not rhyme with either line, assign it the letter C.

8. Read the Poem a third time
What comparison does the poet make in line one?
Who is ‘he’ in line three?
What does he do all day? (see lines 3-9)

9. Images
If the sea is a “hungry dog” in lines 1-14, what kind of dog is it in lines 15-20?

10. List the verbs in line # 3 rolls 5 gnaws 8 moans 9 licking 10 roars
12 Bounds sniffs snuffs
How do these verbs help you visualize the sea?

11. Examples of Onomatopoeia
Moans
Sniffs
Howls
Rumbles
Snuffs
Clashing
Roars