This PowerPoint presentation helps the students analyze the poem critically.

1. David Roth’s Nine Gold Medals
- W.M. Roselin Sofiya M.A, M.Phil,
NET, PhD*

2. David Roth
•Contemporary American singer and songwriter.
•"Nine Gold Medals" was originally written as a song
and appears on Roth's 2014 album Will You Come
Home.
• known for his lively stage shows
•About the 100-meter dash at the 1976 Special
Olympics.
•Themes: collaboration, community, empathy, and
goodwill.
Special Olympics
•a sports organization for athletes with intellectual
disabilities

3. Nine Gold Medals
The athletes had come from all over the country A
To run for the gold, for the silver and bronze B
Many weeks and months of training C
All coming down to these games. B
The spectators gathered around the old field D
To cheer on all the young women and men E
The final event of the day was approaching F
Excitement grew high to begin. E

4. The blocks were all lined up for those who would use them A
The hundred-yard dash and the race to be run B
These were nine resolved athletes in back of the starting line C
Poised for the sound of the gun. B
The signal was given, the pistol exploded D
And so did the runners all charging ahead E
But the smallest among them, he stumbled and staggered F
And fell to the asphalt instead. E

5. He gave out a cry in frustration and anguish A
His dreams and his efforts all dashed in the dirt B
But as sure as I’m standing here telling this story C
The same goes for what next occurred. B
The eight other runners pulled up on their heels D
The ones who had trained for so long to compete E
One by one they all turned around and went back to help him F
And brought the young boy to his feet. E

6. Then all the nine runners joined hands and continued A
The hundred-yard dash now reduced to a walk B
And a banner above that said (Special Olympics) C
Could not have been more on the mark. B
That’s how the race ended, with nine gold medals D
They came to the finish line holding hands still E
And a standing ovation and nine beaming faces F
Said more than these words ever will. E
Said more than these words ever will E

7. Real Incident?
• In Spokane, Washington (1976), while competing in the
100-meter dash, a young runner accidentally stumbles and
falls to the ground. A couple of other athletes did turn back
to help the fallen one, crossing the finish line together. But
it was just a couple of athletes who turned back, and not
everyone in the event (the others continued to run their
race).
• They then walk across the finish line arm-in-arm in a
powerful display of kindness and empathy that, the
speaker declares, epitomizes the true spirit of the games.

8. Form and Meter
• Eight stanza Poem, Slant Rhyme( Imperfect Rhyme)
• the first seven stanza has quatrains (contain four lines).
• Spondee- two stressed Syllable- Nine Gold
• The eighth stanza is a quintain, meaning it has five lines.
• the speaker repeats the song's final line—"Said more
than these words ever will"—twice in a row. This
repetition makes the poem's final moments more
emphatic and intense.

9. Devices
• Metanomy- uses the name of one thing for that of
another of which it is an attribute or associated.
• Alliteration- repetition of an initial consonant
sound in words that are in close proximity to each
other.
• Refrain- lines that are repeated in music or in
poetry