Close reading activity for “Negro Hero” by Gwendolyn Brooks

1.	Circle the words in the first two stanzas that stand out.
2.	What’s the connotation of these words?
3.	What adjective describes this type of diction?
4.	What is the author’s topic?
5.	What does this diction tell about the author’s tone?

6.	Find 2 examples of parallel structure in the third stanza.
7.	What is being emphasized in the first example?
8.	What is being emphasized in the second example?
9.	Find 3 examples of alliteration in the third stanza.
10.	 Alliterations can increase the pace of the text. Why might the author want this stanza read faster?

11.	Break down the metaphor in the fourth stanza. Take some examples and explain both sides of the comparison to aid you in this task.

12.	What’s the purpose of all of the questions in the fifth stanza?
13.	What effect does it create?

14.	Why is the sixth stanza in parenthesis?
15.	Why does the sixth stanza rhyme?
16.	What tone is created by these choices (14 and 15)?

17.	The seventh stanza wraps up/highlights a point from each stanza. How does this conclusion show the theme of this poem?
18.	Why use those specific pieces from the entire poem?