First Thoughts 
1. Did the poem remind you of any tall tales you’ve heard before? Describe one, or state which yarn in the poem is your favorite and why. 

Shaping Interpretations 

2. Each of the yarns in the poem takes something real, such as thick fog or sharp curves in a railroad, and exaggerates it.   Choose two of the yarns, and identify the real things they exaggerate. 

3. The long poem that these lines come from is called The People, Yes. Which of the adjectives below could describe the people who tell these tall tales? 

boastful    frightened    imaginative    independent     meek       
bold         humorous    serious          lively                proud