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Unit 2 FRQ

Relations

Prompt

In Mayli Vang’s poem “Relations,” published in 2000, the speaker describes her family. Read the poem carefully. Then, write a paragraph in which you make a defensible claim regarding how Vang uses contrasts to convey the complex relationships among the members of the speaker’s family. In your paragraph, you should incorporate at least one piece of evidence from the text to support your claim.

In your response you should do the following:

  • Respond to the prompt with a claim that presents a defensible interpretation.
  • Select and use evidence to support your interpretation.
  • Explain how the evidence supports your interpretation.
  • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

Response

Vang uses contrasts to portray the complex relationships of members from the family which stem from the duality of life and death.

  • The paragraph regarding the father being dead, is very short, which can show little attachment. This is supported by the speaker's line "he dwells among the dead, in a land foreign to my imagination."
  • Though the speaker does not actually know his father too well, there may be significant reason to why he is mentioning him at the beginning of the poem.
  • The mother also is described as "sewing her life into her cloth," which could be interpreted as she's spending a majority of her time, love, and effort into the action of sowing, which contrasts with the father
  • The brother is "nowhere to be found", just like the father, but this contrasts with him still "roaming the world"
  • The speaker is "locked in books and dreams", which contrasts with the death - once you enter, you are "locked" in there forever, unable to come back.

Double Dutch

Prompt

In Gregory Pardlo’s poem “Double Dutch,” published in 2007, the speaker describes watching children playing double Dutch—a version of jumping rope in which two ropes are turned in opposite directions. Read the poem carefully. Then, write a paragraph in which you make a defensible claim regarding how Pardlo uses simile and metaphor to convey a complex image of the girls. In your paragraph, you should incorporate at least one piece of evidence from the text to support your claim.

In your response you should do the following:

  • Respond to the prompt with a claim that presents a defensible interpretation.
  • Select and use evidence to support your interpretation.
  • Explain how the evidence supports your interpretation.
  • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

Response

In Gregory Parlor's poem, "Double Dutch," the author employs simile and metaphor to convey the complexity of the girl's youth and innocence through the imagery of skill and grace. Pardlo compares the girls turning the ropes to "boxers pulling punches", which adds to the contrast between what's commonly considered as the innocence of childhood to the competitive environment boxing may have. One mistake made within the double Dutch game can have little to no consequences, but in boxing, one mistake could lead to the boxers being knocked out, or even permanently injured in some scenarios. Moreover, the jumper is depicted as a "bandleader," and the ropes whip "quick as an infant’s pulse," suggesting skills of leadership and rhythm, which are all motivated by youthfulness. Through these comparisons, Pardlo reveals a layered image of the girls; they are not just children at play but also artists, athletes, leaders, and "masters" in at their craft. They are both youthful and ageless, capturing a moment which the audience may relate to, a snapshot of innocence versus a more complex and deeper understanding of the world. Therefore, Pardlo's choice of similes and metaphors improves our understanding of these girls, turning a simple scene of playing into of life's complexities.