The Poet X

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1

Reading Check

1. In what neighborhood of New York City do Xiomara and her family reside?

2. What is the profession of Xiomara’s mother?

3. Who is Xiomara’s oldest friend?

4. What is the name of Xiomara’s high school?

5. What is the name of Xiomara’s twin?

6. The spoken-word poetry club meets on Tuesdays. What other class of Xiomara’s conflicts with this schedule?

7. What hip-hop artist does Xiomara’s biology class partner, Aman, mentions that he likes?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why was Xiomara “hailed as a miracle” when she was born?

2. As Xiomara reflects upon the new attention that she receives from men and boys, she begins to feel enraged. What does she do to calm herself down?

3. What is the effect of The Poet X being a novel-in-verse? How does the literary form contribute to the emerging themes of the book?

Paired Resources

“From the Harlem Renaissance to Slam: Black Poetry Movements”

• Decades before the period in which Xiomara’s story takes place, Harlem had long been a cultural epicenter for Black writers.
• In this photo essay, BET looks back at the Black poetry movements throughout the years, starting with the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s and tracing it through the slam poetry movement of the 1980s and 1990s.