The Courage That MY Mother Had
Edna St. Vincent MillaY
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock lrom New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite
hill.
5
The golden brooch mY mother wore
She
lelt behind lor me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could
spare
l0
Oh, ilinstead she'd left to me
The thing she took into the grave!That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and
I
have
t4
@Mi.rNctandnl-, Xol3
My Father is a Sirnple Man
Luis Ornar Salinas
I walk to town with my father
to buy a newspape r. He walks slower
than I do so I must slow up.
The street is filled with children.
We argue about the price
of pomegranates, I convince
him it is the fruit ofscholars.
He has taken me on this joumey
and it's been lifelong.
He's sure I'll be healthy
so long as I eat more oranges
and tells me the orange
has seeds and so is perpetual;
and we too will come back
like the orange rees.
I ask him what he thinks
about death and he says
he will gladly face it when
It)
lr-)
it comes but won't iump
out in lront of a car.
I'd gladly give my lifc
lor this man with a sixth
grade education, whose kindness
and patience are truc...
The truth ofit is, he's the scholar,
and when the bitter-hard reality
comcs at me like a punishing
evil stranger, I can always
remember that here was a man
who was a worker and provider,
who le arned the simple lacts
who held no pretense.
And when he leaves without
benefit oflanfare or applause
I shall have learned what little
there is about greatness.
@MirsAlcrddt.L'
2013
Directions: To compare and contrast "The Courage that my Mother Had" and "My
Father is
a Simple Man," use this chart. Below each title, fill in the details and use textual evidence to
defend your answer. Some details have been filled in for you.
Tide
The Courage that My Mother Had My Father is a Sirnple Man
l4ho is the
nbjecl in the
poan?
Who i: the
aulltor of tlte
poon?
Luis Omar Salinas
Thc subJect(thc mOthellヽ desCHbCd as
cOurageous
〃ο
ω む″
レ
"レ
″
ι
れ ガみ
``The cour製工 likC a rOck which shc has''(linc
13)
レグ
角ル ψ′
α
ルOγ
0′
″
カ
レタ
笏α
″P
ノ
771α
Is tfu
subject
of
Tht: subiect is dead.
tlu pomt aliue or
"The thing
dead?
In what
does
she took
into the grave!" (line l2)
knse
he speakcr
refer ta the
nbject
throughaut the
pocm?
lt77α
ιdο ωr/2′
′
″′
′
α
ψのた
" %ι P
Wり
/7aa lll′
Does lhe sPeaker
oJ the poem lnue
and/or admire
the subjut?
Be rure to deJmd
your answn!
OMissAlexallaraL,2013
Response Questions
Poetry is no1 always easy to understand. In most cases, there are no definitive answers nor is the reader
able to lully comprehend the intention ofthc author. Therefore, poetry can be subjcctive. Do not feel bad
ifyou need to read through the poems several timcs over in order to attain a bctter understanding.
l)
What is the theme of "The Courage that My Mother Had?"
2) What is the theme
ol"My
Father is a Simple Man?"
3) How are the themes alike? How are they different?
4) Is "The Courage that My Mother Had" a confusing poem lor you? If so' list some of the
questions that you have regarding the poem.
5) Is "My Father is a Simple Man" a confusing poem for you? If so, list some of the questions
that you have regarding the poem.
Partner Actiwity
With a partner, discuss in detail your answers from questions l-5. Are they similar? Are they
diflerent? What can you learn lrom your partner's responses and how they understood the
poems?
OMis6^lc]{dEL,
2013