Printable Poem Worksheet: The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

This Grade 5 reading worksheet introduces students to Francis William Bourdillon's classic poem to build text analysis skills. Students read the eight-line poem to identify metaphors and contrast light and dark imagery. This printable resource helps learners master figurative language interpretation during independent reading or guided group instruction.

At a Glance

• Grade: Grade 5 · Subject: ELA Reading
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4 — Determine the meaning of figurative language like metaphors in poetry
• Skill Focus: Metaphor analysis and imagery
• Format: 1 page · 1 reading task · No answer key · PDF
• Best For: Poetry introduction and close reading
• Time: 10–15 minutes

This single-page PDF features the complete text of the poem, formatted with clear typography and night-sky graphics. The layout presents the two stanzas side-by-side to support visual learners. Because this sheet focuses purely on text delivery, it serves as a clean reading card that teachers can pair with custom writing prompts or oral reading exercises.

This zero-prep resource integrates into ELA lessons in under two minutes. First, print the single-page PDF document in thirty seconds. Second, distribute the sheets to fifth-grade students for a five-minute independent close reading session. Third, review the poem as a class by discussing the contrast between physical and metaphorical eyes. This simple workflow makes the sheet excellent for sub plans.

This worksheet aligns with standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4 to help students determine the meaning of figurative language like metaphors. It also supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 by encouraging students to reflect on how stanzas contribute to the overall theme. Both standard codes can be copied directly into lesson plans, IEP goals, or district curriculum mapping tools.

Use this poem sheet during direct instruction to introduce extended metaphors. Display the page on a whiteboard before students write poetry, allowing them to annotate the text. Alternatively, assign the sheet as a post-instruction formative assessment where students highlight contrasting words. During this ten-minute activity, observe whether students explain the difference between literal and metaphorical light.

This resource is designed for fifth-grade students learning to analyze poetic structures. It works well for general education classrooms, English language learners, and small-group intervention. Pair this printable sheet with a graphic organizer anchor chart defining literal versus figurative language to scaffold the analysis for struggling readers.

This educational resource targets the development of poetry analysis skills under the CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4 standard, focusing on how fifth-grade students interpret figurative language and metaphorical meaning. According to research by Fisher & Frey (2014) on close reading systems, exposing students to short, complex texts like this eight-line poem builds critical comprehension habits. By isolating the text on a single page, the worksheet encourages students to perform multiple read-throughs, which is a proven strategy for deepening understanding. Educators can utilize this structured layout to assess student progress in identifying literary devices, making it a reliable tool for classroom diagnostics. The clear presentation ensures that students focus entirely on the structural relationships between the stanzas, facilitating better retention of poetic concepts during subsequent units.