Structure in 'the sonnet-ballad'

In this lesson, we are moving on to explore the structure of the poem. Can we figure out how the poem has been put together? We will look at the punctuation Brooks has used in the poem and, most importantly, we will think about why Brooks has made those decisions.

Quiz:

Intro quiz - Recap from previous lesson

Before we start this lesson, let’s see what you can remember from this topic. Here’s a quick quiz!

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Q1.Why does Brooks call her heart an 'empty heart-cup?'

Because she cannot drink from her heart. Because she thinks her heart is useless like an empty cup without having someone to love. Because she is too angry to care. Because someone has broken her heart.

1/5

Q2.Fill in the gap in the sentence: Brooks _______ death by describing it as 'the other woman.'

metaphors explains describes personifies

2/5

Q3.Why did Brooks repeat the phrase 'would have to' in her poem?

to emphasise that he had no choice in going to war. to make us remember the phrase. because she enjoyed writing the phrase. to show us it's important.

3/5

Q4.The first and last line of the poem are the same: "Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?" Why are they repeated?

Brooks wants to remind us that the speaker is asking for help. Brooks is showing the reader that this story is one which has happened before and will happen again. Brooks forgot she had written it the first time. It is the main point of the poem and so should be repeated.

4/5

Q5.What technique is used by Brooks in the first and last line? 'Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?'

Triplets Rhetorical question personification simile

5/5

Quiz:

Intro quiz - Recap from previous lesson

Before we start this lesson, let’s see what you can remember from this topic. Here’s a quick quiz!

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Q1.Why does Brooks call her heart an 'empty heart-cup?'

1/5

Q2.Fill in the gap in the sentence: Brooks _______ death by describing it as 'the other woman.'

metaphors explains describes personifies

2/5

Q3.Why did Brooks repeat the phrase 'would have to' in her poem?

to emphasise that he had no choice in going to war. to make us remember the phrase. because she enjoyed writing the phrase. to show us it's important.

3/5

Q4.The first and last line of the poem are the same: "Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?" Why are they repeated?

4/5

Q5.What technique is used by Brooks in the first and last line? 'Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?'

Triplets Rhetorical question personification simile

5/5

Video

Play video

Click on the play button to start the video. If your teacher asks you to pause the video and look at the worksheet you should:

Click "Close Video"
Click "Next" to view the activity

Your video will re-appear on the next page, and will stay paused in the right place.

Quiz:

Structure in 'the sonnet-ballad' Quiz

Complete this quiz to reflect on how much you have learned about structure in the poem.

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Q1.What is 'the sonnet-ballad' about?

'the sonnet-ballad' is about broken hearts. 'the sonnet-ballad' is about a woman's sadness and despair when her lover is sent to war. 'the sonnet-ballad' is about the battlefield. 'the sonnet-ballad' is about the experience of a black American in 1930.

1/5

Q2.A refrain is a feature used in...

sonnets ballads

2/5

Q3.Select the correct definition of caesura.

punctuation at the end of a line in a poem. no punctuation at all. a comma in a poem. punctuation used in the middle of a line in a poem.

3/5

Q4.Why does Brooks use enjambment?

to reflect the speaker's strong emotions and share her train of thought. because she did not want to use punctuation. to make the reader pause. to start a new idea.

4/5

Q5.Lines in a poem which finish with punctuation are called...

punctuated lines end-stopped lines full-stopped lines lines

5/5

Quiz:

Structure in 'the sonnet-ballad' Quiz

Complete this quiz to reflect on how much you have learned about structure in the poem.

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Q1.What is 'the sonnet-ballad' about?

1/5

Q2.A refrain is a feature used in...

sonnets ballads

2/5

Q3.Select the correct definition of caesura.

punctuation at the end of a line in a poem. no punctuation at all. a comma in a poem. punctuation used in the middle of a line in a poem.

3/5

Q4.Why does Brooks use enjambment?

to reflect the speaker's strong emotions and share her train of thought. because she did not want to use punctuation. to make the reader pause. to start a new idea.

4/5

Q5.Lines in a poem which finish with punctuation are called...

punctuated lines end-stopped lines full-stopped lines lines

5/5

Lesson summary: Structure in 'the sonnet-ballad'

It looks like you have not attempted both the quizzes.

To share your results with your teacher please complete both the quizzes.

The next lesson in ‘The sonnet-ballad’, Gwendolyn Brooks is "Writing about 'the sonnet-ballad'"

Browse Oak's lessons:

Subjects Schedule