Figurative Language Poem 1: "Sketch" by Carl Sandburg with review questions and a nautical illustration.

Let’s go through each question one by one, using the poem “Sketch” by Carl Sandburg. We’ll find examples from the text and explain them simply.

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1. Identify an example of personification: explain what is being personified how.

Personification means giving human qualities to something that isn’t human.

In the poem:
> “A long brown bar at the dip of the sky
Puts an arm of sand in the span of salt.”

Here, the “long brown bar” (which is a sandbar) is said to “put an arm” — like a person reaching out. So the sandbar is being given a human action (“puts an arm”). That’s personification.

✔ Answer: The sandbar is personified because it “puts an arm,” as if it were a person stretching out into the water.

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2. Identify an example of hyperbole: explain how it is exaggerated.

Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration for effect — not meant to be taken literally.

Looking at the poem… there isn’t a clear, obvious hyperbole. But let’s look closely:

> “The lucid and endless wrinkles”

“Endless” might be hyperbole — waves don’t really go on forever, but saying they’re “endless” makes them feel huge and never-ending. It’s exaggerated to show how vast the ocean seems.

✔ Answer: “Endless wrinkles” is hyperbole — waves aren’t truly endless, but calling them that exaggerates their size and number to make the sea feel infinite.

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3. Identify an example of metaphor: explain which two things are being compared.

Metaphor = direct comparison without “like” or “as”.

In the poem:
> “Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles / Wash on the floor of the beach.”

Calling the beach the “floor” is a metaphor — it compares the beach to the floor of a room. Just like you walk on a floor, waves wash onto this “floor.” It helps us picture the beach as part of a big underwater room.

Also:
> “shadows of the ships / Rock on the crest”

This could be metaphorical too — shadows don’t actually rock; the ships do. But the poet says the *shadows* rock, comparing the movement of the shadow to the movement of the ship.

But the clearest metaphor is “floor of the beach.”

✔ Answer: “Floor of the beach” is a metaphor — it compares the beach to the floor of a room, helping us imagine waves washing over it like water spilling across a floor.

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4. Find two separate examples of alliteration. List the alliterative words.

Alliteration = same starting sound in nearby words.

First example:
> “low blue lustre” → “l” sound repeats: low, lustre

Second example:
> “white spent bubbles” → “w” and “b” sounds? Wait — better one:
> “tardy and the soft inrolling tide” → “t” sound: tardy, the, tide

Or:
> “Rocking on the crest / In the low blue lustre” → “l” again: low, lustre

Let’s pick two clear ones:

✔ Answer:
- “low blue lustre” → alliteration with “l”
- “tardy and the soft inrolling tide” → alliteration with “t” (tardy, the, tide)

*(Note: Some may argue “soft” doesn’t start with “t”, so better to use “tardy” and “tide” — both start with “t”, and “the” is in between. Still counts!)*

Alternative strong pair:
> “Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles” → “w” in wavelets, white

So let’s go with:

✔ Final choice:
1. “low blue lustre” — “l” sound
2. “wavelets... white” — “w” sound

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5. Where is repetition used in this poem? Why do you think that it is used this way?

Repetition = repeating words or lines.

Look at the beginning and end:

Beginning:
> “The shadows of the ships / Rock on the crest / In the low blue lustre / Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide.”

End:
> “Rocking on the crest / In the low blue lustre / Are the shadows of the ships.”

Same ideas, slightly reordered — this is called circular structure or refrain.

It creates a calm, rocking feeling — like waves coming in and going out. It also gives the poem a musical, soothing rhythm.

✔ Answer: Repetition is used at the beginning and end of the poem — the lines about “shadows of the ships,” “rocking on the crest,” and “low blue lustre” come back. This makes the poem feel peaceful and cyclical, like the tide itself.

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6. What action is described in the third stanza of the poem?

Third stanza:
> “The lucid and endless wrinkles
Draw in, lapse and withdraw.
Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles
Wash on the floor of the beach.”

Action: Waves are moving — drawing in, lapsing, withdrawing, crumbling, washing.

It describes the motion of small waves rolling in and breaking gently on the shore.

✔ Answer: The third stanza describes waves gently rolling in, breaking apart (“crumble”), and washing up on the beach with bubbles.

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7. How is imagery used in this poem? What is described?

Imagery = descriptive language that appeals to senses (sight, sound, touch, etc.).

The whole poem is full of visual imagery:

- “shadows of the ships”
- “low blue lustre” (shine/glows)
- “long brown bar” (sandbar)
- “red sun” (in the illustration, but also implied by “dip of the sky”)
- “white spent bubbles”
- “floor of the beach”

You can almost see the scene: ships’ shadows, red sun setting, gentle waves, sandy beach.

✔ Answer: Imagery is used throughout to paint a quiet seaside scene — we see the ships’ shadows, the glowing blue water, the red sun, the sandbar, and foamy bubbles washing ashore. It helps you visualize the calm ocean at sunset.

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8. What is the mood of this poem? How does it make you feel?

Mood = the feeling the poem creates.

Words like “soft,” “tardy,” “lucid,” “endless,” “crumble,” “wash” — all gentle, slow, calm.

No loud noises, no storms — just quiet waves and fading light.

✔ Answer: The mood is peaceful, calm, and a little dreamy. It makes you feel relaxed, like watching the ocean at sunset — quiet and soothing.

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Final Answer:

1. Personification: “Puts an arm of sand” — the sandbar is given a human action (reaching out).
2. Hyperbole: “endless wrinkles” — waves aren’t truly endless, but it exaggerates their vastness.
3. Metaphor: “floor of the beach” — compares beach to a room’s floor.
4. Alliteration: “low blue lustre” (L sound); “wavelets... white” (W sound).
5. Repetition: First and last stanzas repeat similar lines — creates a calming, wave-like rhythm.
6. Third stanza action: Waves roll in, break, and wash bubbles onto the beach.
7. Imagery: Describes sights like ship shadows, blue water, red sun, white bubbles — paints a serene seascape.
8. Mood: Calm and peaceful — feels relaxing, like watching a quiet sunset at the beach.