Read the excerpt from Holes.

He looked out the window at the vast emptiness. He watched the rise and fall of a telephone wire. In his mind he could hear his father's gruff voice softly singing to him.

A prompt—executive Bird is the Jay

by Emily Dickinson

A prompt—executive Bird is the Jay—

Bold as a Bailiff's1 Hymn—

Brittle and Brief in quality—

Warrant2 in every line—

Sitting a Bough3 like a Brigadier4

Confident and straight—

Much is the mien5 of him in March

As a Magistrate6—

legal officer

legal action

branch of a tree

army officer (British)

appearance

judge

I Heard a Bird Sing

By Oliver Herford

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

A magical thing

And sweet to remember.

"We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,”

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

Review the two poems.

How does the structure compare in both poems?

Both poems have two stanzas.

Both poems are about birds.

Both poems use similes.

Both poems use metaphor.

i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

i do not think they will sing to me

they fear for their lives