Langston Hughes

When and where was Langston Hughes born?  What kind of literary art form did Hughes help innovate?  What is Hughes best known for?  Read Hughes poem, Life Is Fine.  What is the narrator speaking about?  Is the narrator being sarcastic?  If so how can you tell?  Write about a day in your life when everything seemed to be going wrong. 

Maya Angelou

When and where was Maya Angelou born?  What six volumes is she best known for?  In 1971 what was she nominated for, and for what?   Read Angelou's poem, Still I Rise.  What is the narrator speaking about overcoming?  In what time period is this narrator writing in?  Write about something you have had to overcome in your life. 

William Wordsworth

Where was William Wordsworth born?  What was his first publication?  What age did Wordsworth help launch?  What does it mean to be a Poet Laureate?  Read Wordsworth's poem, I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud. What is the narrator watching?  Write about something in nature that has captivated you.

Stephen Crane

When did Stephen Crane begin writing?  What did he leave school to do?  What novel did he win international acclaim for?  What is his poem Fast rode the night talking about? Write about a time in your life when you have felt forgotten abandoned.

Dr. Suess

What is Dr. Suess's real name?  How many books has he published?  When did he begin to write?  Do you believe his poetry is only for children?  Read this small poem.  Do you agree that everyone is waiting for something?  Write about a time in your life when you were forced to wait.

Walt Whitman

What kind of a life did Walt Whitman live?  Did he have a family?  How many poems did he write in his lifetime?  Read Whitman's poem A Clear Midnight.  What is the narrator doing?  Write about your own favorite place you like to escape to when the stress of life becomes overwhelming. 

Emily Dickinson

Where did Emily Dickinson live?  What color did she where all the time?  How many of her poems were published during her life?  What is her poem There is another sky talking about?  Is there a deeper meaning?  If so, what is it?

Edgar Allan Poe

When was Edgar Allan Poe born?  How was he found when he died?  What kind of a life did he live?  What is his poem Annabel Lee about?  Write about someone in your life that means as much to you as Annabel Lee meant to the narrator. 

E. E. Cummings

What is E. E. Cummings full name?  What college did he attend?  What was his major?  Where was his first job?  Who is the poem i carry your heart with me talking to?  What is the narrator trying to say?

Shel Silverstein

Tell me how old Shel Silverstein was when he died.  How old was he when he published his first poem?  Give your opinion on his poem Where The Sidewalk Ends.  How is this poem relevant to your life?

Robert Frost

Tell me where Robert Frost was born and lived most his life.  How many poems did Robert Frost write?  Give your opinion on what you think his poem Fire and Ice is talking about.