Figurative Language Poem 1 worksheet with Carl Sandburg's "Sketch" and review questions on figurative language.

Here is the solution to the figurative language review questions based on Carl Sandburg’s poem “Sketch”:

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

> Example: *“The lucid and endless wrinkles / Draw in, lapse and withdraw.”*

> Explanation: The “wrinkles” (referring to waves or ripples on the water) are personified — they are given human-like actions: “draw in,” “lapse,” and “withdraw.” Waves don’t literally draw in or lapse like a person might; this gives them a living, breathing quality, as if the sea is breathing or sighing.

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

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

> Explanation: This is hyperbole because it exaggerates the size and power of the sandbar — describing it as putting “an arm of sand” across the “span of salt” (the ocean). A sandbar doesn’t literally have an “arm,” nor does it stretch across the entire ocean — this image magnifies its presence to make it seem vast and almost alive, emphasizing its dominance over the seascape.

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

> Example: *“The shadows of the ships / Rock on the crest”*

> Explanation: This is a metaphor comparing the shadows of ships to actual ships rocking on the waves. The shadows aren’t physically rocking — but by saying they “rock on the crest,” Sandburg implies they move with the motion of the water, blurring the line between reality (ships) and reflection (shadows). It suggests the shadows are alive or mimicking the ships’ motion.

*(Note: Some may also consider “the span of salt” as a metaphor for the ocean — comparing the sea to a vast expanse of salt, highlighting its texture and color.)*

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

> Example 1: *“Rock on the crest / In the low blue lustre”*
→ Alliterative words: Rock, crest, low, blue, lustre (note: “l” sound repeats)

> Example 2: *“Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles”*
→ Alliterative words: crumble, white, spent (note: “w” and “s” sounds — “wavelets” and “white” share “w”; “spent” and “bubbles” share soft “s”/“b” sounds — depending on interpretation, “crumble and...” has “c” and “b” not matching, so better focus on “white spent” — but strictly, “wavelets” and “white” = strong “w” alliteration)

✔ Better second example:
> *“Draw in, lapse and withdraw”* → Draw, lapse, withdraw (all start with “d” or “l” — not perfect; let’s pick clearer ones)

✔️ Clearer Examples:

> Example 1: *“Rock on the crest”* → Rock, crest (both start with “r” sound — actually “R” and “C” — wait, no! Let’s correct.)

Actually, let’s find true alliteration:

> Example 1: *“soft inrolling tide”* → soft, inrolling — both start with “s” sound? Not quite.

Better:

> Example 1: *“The shadows of the ships”* → shadows, ships (both start with “sh” — that’s consonance, not alliteration — alliteration requires same initial consonant sound).

Let’s look again:

> Example 1: *“Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles”* — “wavelets” and “white” = both start with “w” → ✔

> Example 2: *“Rock on the crest”* — “rock” and “crest” — no, different sounds.

Wait — try:

> Example 2: *“lucid and endless wrinkles”* — “lucid”, “endless”, “wrinkles” — no.

Actually, the clearest is:

✔ Example 1: *“soft inrolling tide”* — “soft” and “inrolling” — not matching.

Perhaps:

> Example 1: *“Rock on the crest”* — no.

Let’s be precise:

There’s “tardy and the soft inrolling tide” — “tardy” and “tide” both start with “t” → ✔

> Example 1: *“tardy and ... tide”* → tardy, tide (both start with “t”)

> Example 2: *“wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles”* → wavelets, white (both start with “w”) → ✔

So:

> Alliterative Words:
> - Example 1: tardy, tide
> - Example 2: wavelets, white

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

> Repetition Example: The first stanza and the last stanza are nearly identical:
>
> First:
> *The shadows of the ships / Rock on the crest / In the low blue lustre / Of the tardy and the soft inrolling tide.*
>
> Last:
> *Rocking on the crest / In the low blue lustre / Are the shadows of the ships.*

> Why it’s used: This repetition creates a circular structure — like the tide itself, coming in and going out. It reinforces the theme of natural cycles and the illusionary, dreamlike quality of the scene. The slight variation (“are the shadows” vs. “the shadows... rock”) subtly shifts the perspective — from observation to realization — suggesting the shadows are not just moving, but *are* the essence of the ships, blurring reality and reflection.

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

> Action: The third stanza describes the movement and behavior of the waves or ripples on the water surface:
>
> *“The lucid and endless wrinkles / Draw in, lapse and withdraw. / Wavelets crumble and white spent bubbles / Wash on the floor of the beach.”*
>
> This stanza shows the waves approaching shore (“draw in”), receding (“lapse and withdraw”), breaking into foam (“crumble and white spent bubbles”), and finally washing onto the beach (“wash on the floor of the beach”). It captures the rhythmic, cyclical motion of the tide.

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✔ Final Answers Summary:

1. Personification: “wrinkles draw in, lapse and withdraw” — waves given human motion.
2. Hyperbole: “puts an arm of sand in the span of salt” — exaggerates sandbar’s size and reach.
3. Metaphor: “shadows of the ships rock on the crest” — compares shadows to ships, implying they move like real vessels.
4. Alliteration:
- “tardy” and “tide”
- “wavelets” and “white”
5. Repetition: First and last stanzas repeat — creates cyclical rhythm, mirrors tide’s motion, emphasizes illusion/reality.
6. Action in Stanza 3: Waves rising, breaking, foaming, and washing ashore — the dynamic motion of the tide.

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