A jet breaking the sound barrier makes a loud
BOOM, something like the deep, heart thump boom after
a Fourth of July fireworks explodes in the sky. John Updike
makes you hear more than you see in this poem. Listen!
"Sonic Boom,"
by John Updike, reveals one man's thoughts about sonic
booms, and about our world in general.
But first, just a quick question to focus the purpose for you
as you read.
Question:
The first three
stanzas of this poem describe the sonic boom. Which
of the following literary elements does the author use to
help the reader hear the BOOM and create the setting for
his message. Check as many as you can find.
alliteration
onomatopoeia
simile
personification
rhythm/pattern
playful tone
Question:
In the first three
stanzas, the author shows a playful tone. In the last two
stanzas, his attitude changes. How does his authors attitude
change in the last two stanzas?
HINT:
To make the correct choice to this question, take each possible
answer and go back and prove it in the poem. Turn it into
a question: What words in the poem tell me he is frightened
because he knows that the world would die with one more pop?
Yes
No
Maybe
Answers
A.
He becomes frightened because he knows that the world could
die with one more pop.
B.
He wants to assure everyone that there is nothing to be afraid
of. His tone is respectful for all the scientific advancements
that make the world safe and tame.
C.
He turns sort of sarcastic because he really means the opposite
of what he says: our world is frightening and it is not
tame.
D.
He gets bored, because nothing seems exciting to him anymore
because the world is too tame.
Is your answer A, B, C or D? Check for the correct answer.
