full transcript

From the Ted Talk by C.K. Williams: Poetry of youth and age

Unscramble the Blue Letters

I tghohut I would read poems I have that relate to the sebjcut of ytuoh and age. I was sort of astonished to find out how many I have actually.
The first one is dedicated to Spencer, and his grandmother, who was shocked by his work. My poem is called "Dirt.".
My grandmother is washing my mouth out with soap;.
half a long century gone.
and still she comes at me.
with that thick cruel ylloew bar.
All because of a word I said,.
not even said really, only reapeetd.
But "Open," she says, "open up!".
her hand clawing at my head.

Open Cloze

I _______ I would read poems I have that relate to the _______ of _____ and age. I was sort of astonished to find out how many I have actually.
The first one is dedicated to Spencer, and his grandmother, who was shocked by his work. My poem is called "Dirt.".
My grandmother is washing my mouth out with soap;.
half a long century gone.
and still she comes at me.
with that thick cruel ______ bar.
All because of a word I said,.
not even said really, only ________.
But "Open," she says, "open up!".
her hand clawing at my head.

Solution

  1. yellow
  2. repeated
  3. youth
  4. thought
  5. subject

Original Text

I thought I would read poems I have that relate to the subject of youth and age. I was sort of astonished to find out how many I have actually.
The first one is dedicated to Spencer, and his grandmother, who was shocked by his work. My poem is called "Dirt.".
My grandmother is washing my mouth out with soap;.
half a long century gone.
and still she comes at me.
with that thick cruel yellow bar.
All because of a word I said,.
not even said really, only repeated.
But "Open," she says, "open up!".
her hand clawing at my head.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
girl means 2

Important Words

  1. age
  2. astonished
  3. bar
  4. called
  5. century
  6. clawing
  7. cruel
  8. dedicated
  9. find
  10. grandmother
  11. hand
  12. head
  13. long
  14. mouth
  15. poem
  16. poems
  17. read
  18. relate
  19. repeated
  20. shocked
  21. sort
  22. spencer
  23. subject
  24. thick
  25. thought
  26. washing
  27. word
  28. work
  29. yellow
  30. youth