Westward Expansion: Supplemental Guide CA | Culminating Activities 217Poetry Reading
Find a copy of the poem “Buffalo Dusk,” by Carl Sandburg. Tell
students that you are going to read a poem to them written by a
man named Carl Sandburg. Ask them to listen carefully to what Mr.
Sandburg is describing in his poem. You may wish to reread the
poem, defi ning any words students may not understand, such as
dusk, sod, and pageant.
Ask students some or all of the following questions to ensure their
understanding of the poem:- Why are the buffalo gone? (They were hunted; their habitat was
diminished.) - Who are the people who saw the buffalo who are now also
gone? (our ancestors) - Why do you think Carl Sandburg describes this scene of the
buffalo pawing the dust as a pageant, or a grand show? (He
thought this was a spectacular sight; the buffalo were like
actors; etc.) - Why do you think Carl Sandburg chose the title “Buffalo Dusk”?
(Answers may vary.) [You may need to explain that dusk is the
time of day when the sun has just set. Dusk is near the end of
the day. The term dusk may also describe the end of the time
of something. So “buffalo dusk” is the end of the time of the
buffalo.] - How do you think Carl Sandburg feels about the buffalo being
gone? (He is probably sad.)
Be sure to remind students that buffalo have now started to make
a comeback in our country, and that maybe someone will one
day write a new poem about that. Also, make sure that students
understand that there are still many Native Americans living in the
United States, but that their ancestors who lived in the mid-1800s
are now gone.
If time allows, you may want to talk about the alliteration in the
poem. Tell students that alliteration is the occurrence of the same
beginning sound or letter in words.