Voices of Modern Culture

Activity 1.9continuedCircles of InfluenceMy NotesP o e t r yA b o u t t h e A u t h o rGeorge Ella Lyon is the author of award-winning children’sbooks, including Catalpa, a book of poetry that won theAppalachian Book of the Year Award, and the novel Witha Hammer for My Heart. Lyon is often asked about herunusual first name. On her Website, she explains that shewas named after her uncle George and her aunt Ella.&Grammar UsageNotice the writer’s use ofanaphora — the repetitionof a word or phrase at thebeginning of a line. Lyonrepeats “I am from” (or“I’m from”) in each stanza.This repetition creates apattern that emphasizesher thematic idea —herorigins and history. Eachuse of the phrase “I amfrom” reveals somethingabout the speaker’sidentity.510by George Ella LyonI am from clothes-pinsfrom Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride. 1I am from the dirt under the back porch.(Black, glistening,it tasted like beets.)I am from the forsythia bush,the Dutch Elmwhose long gone limbs I rememberas if they were my own.I’m from fudge and eyeglasses,© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.from Imogene and Alafair.1carbon tetrachloride, n., chemical used for dry cleaning22 SpringBoard® English Textual Power Level 5