Note that for clarity, we refer to the speaker of the poem as “he,” but the speaker is not necessarily male.
1. In one or two sentences, summarize what is happening in this poem. A kid or teen is sitting outside on a rock, taking in the sights and sounds of nature while contemplating the upcoming start of the school year.
2. Why might the speaker describe school as “the halls of judgments”? What does this description tell you about how the speaker is feeling as he thinks about school starting? Explain. The speaker might describe school as “the halls of judgments” because school is a place that is literally full of hallways, where students can feel like they are constantly being judged on everything from their academic achievement to their performance in sports to their physical appearance, and from their social standing to their personality to their family’s income level. You name it, and someone at school, whether a teacher, a coach, or a peer, might be judging you on it. That the speaker refers to school as “the halls of judgments” tells you that the speaker is feeling anxious, nervous, or worried as he thinks about going back to school.
3. In the last stanza of the poem, the speaker says, “Taking a deep breath, I gather myself.” What does it mean to gather yourself? To gather yourself is to prepare yourself mentally for something you need to do—to get your thoughts and emotions under control and summon up your inner strength so that you feel ready and able to deal with the situation at hand.
4. What do you think the speaker means in the last line of the poem when he says, “I bring what I am”? What decision has he come to about how he will approach “the halls of judgments”? The speaker is saying that he is not going to try to change or hide anything about himself out of concern for how other people might judge him. Rather, he is going to show up at school determined to be—and content to be—himself.
5. Sensory details are descriptions that appeal to the five senses. What sensory details help the reader imagine the speaker’s experience as he sits on the rock? The poem is packed with sensory details. The second stanza begins with a reference to a “desert rock,” which creates an image of a wide-open space painted in shades of yellow, orange, and brown. The second stanza then provides a series of details about what the speaker hears: “Crows and ravens caw,/finches and sparrows chirp. A dog barks.” In the fourth stanza, the speaker refers to a breeze stroking his face—a sensory detail appealing to the sense of touch—and to activity he can see: busy spiders and lizards going about their business. In the fifth stanza, the speaker describes clouds curling and floating on a “vast blue canvas,” helping the reader envision some wispy white clouds floating in a wide-open blue sky.
6. A writer’s or speaker’s tone is the attitude or feelings they express toward their subject matter or toward their audience. What are some words you could use to describe the speaker’s tone in this poem? Explain what makes you say so. The speaker’s tone could be described as thoughtful or reflective; he is deeply present in the moment, paying close attention to his surroundings, while also letting his mind expand as he gazes into the sky and examines his feelings about the start of the school year. The speaker’s tone could also be described as reverent, appreciative, content, comforted, or grateful in terms of his attitude toward nature—the sights and sounds he savors, as he puts it. Regarding the beginning of the school year, the speaker’s tone shifts from anxious (“Can I face/the halls of judgments?”) to determined or confident (“Taking a deep breath, I gather myself./I bring what I am.”).
