Read some poems by your favorite American poet. What do you think made him/her special? Choose one particular style favored by the poet and try writing a poem in the same style. Do you think all poets start by emulating someone else and then finding their own ‘voice’? Explain your answer.

Which type of conflict does della face in o. henry’s “the gift of the magi”? a. character versus society b. character versus machine c. character versus character d. character versus nature

Skill check questions rearrange the paragraphs below into the correct sequence. that's because engineers on the ultraclean project have invented a self-cleaning, antibacterial metal surface that repels water with an intricate layer of laser-engraved valleys. when it rains, the lotus does not become damp; the water simply trickles off in fat droplets, taking any bugs and dirt with it. the drudgery may not be around much longer, however, if a team of italian scientists has anything to do with it “it's simply an amazing plant,” concluded professor luca romoli, leader of the project, “and we've succeeded in mimicking it. magnifico! ” few tasks in life hold less joy than scrubbing the ghost of somebody else’s porridge from a saucepan. the starting point for the research was the leaves of the lotus flower.

Read the following excerpt from life on the mississippi by mark twain. no girl could withstand his charms. he "cut out" every boy in the village. when his boat blew up at last, it diffused a tranquil contentment among us such as we had not known for months. but when he came home the next week, alive, renowned, and appeared in church all battered up and bandaged, a shining hero, stared at and wondered over by everybody, it seemed to us that the partiality of providence for an undeserving reptile had reached a point where it was open to criticism. how does twain's use of understatement serve his purpose? be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.