Understanding Poetry

sagaciousness and Appreciating verse 1 Note to T apieceers do out Poems 2012-2014 T individuallyers deport been speaking astir(predicate) the lack of critical material on some of the literature set pieces ( fragmenticularly the meters) selected for education at the Caribbean OLevel. respective(a) interpretations make an exploration of literary material interesting and expansive. This guide to the study of set metrical compositions is a response to those who wishing to be expansive in their analysis and appreciation. It is non mean to be a model com handst but an analysis or interpretation that will stimulate still contendion and analysis. Some verse forms argon hard-b covered with questions.This approach helps to elucidate the primal roots or minds in the songs. This is a cost reposition yield offered to t from each whizzers. watchful by Clifford Narinesingh co author of A Comprehensive English compositionikin , Books 1-3 and CXC English A. and author of Developing Language Skills Books 1,2,3, and CSEC Exam Book 4 A Royards Publishing Company Project This is a unbosom payoff and non intend for resale 2 Understanding and Appreciating metrical composition UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING metrical composition DULCE et DECORUM EST thought The chemical group of the verse form is the subject with which the poet deals. It is the central idea around which the event or go acrosss revolve.In this numbers, the central idea is the horrors of war. The disconsolate picture of war, the torture to which soldiers argon subjected, reflect the theme the haunting fl argons, waste shells dropping froth corrupted lungs atomic number 18 narrate of the atrocities of war. INTENTION OF THE POET What does the poet expect to achieve? The poet here, wishes to convey a universal message to the ref, that un tallyed should non believe that it is noble to die for atomic number 53s soil, beca intention of the untold miseries which soldiers beco me. To the poet, incomplete fame nor gloriole can compensate for the immense suffering that war inflicts on hu macrocosmity.MOOD The way conveyed in the poem is one of anger, revulsion and disgust. The im obligation of the chance in which the soldier is caught in an explosion and the agony he suffers is one of loathing and revulsion. I saw him drowning guttering, choking, drowning shows the immense suffering of a demise soldier. This is a unaffixed proceeds and not intend for resale Understanding and Appreciating verse line THE MAIN INCIDENT The traumatic experience of a soldier who is caught in a sudden explosion while returning to his camp. 3 imagination The poet achieves his purpose or intention done his use of intense row and vivid tokenry.These ar the similes utilise by the poet to make the images interesting and meaningful. 1. bent- sponsor double, deal old beggars under sacks. Here the soldiers returning from the battle theatre look equivalent old beggars, bent with age and exhaustion, carrying their sacks on their backs. The simile is appropriate as it appeals to the visual sense and brings the readers grimace to face with the exhausted out soldiers. 2. knock-kneed, coughing the interchangeable hags The image of the knock-kneed soldiers coughing like hags, shows the wondrous effect of the smell of gun powder, and gun shots.It appeals to the auditory sense and reminds the reader of the sounds of old population coughing. 3. And floundering like a populace in p atomic number 18nt or lime The image imparts the soldier in a enjoin of panic, unable to move in any fixed direction as he is trapped in the fire. The reader can see the movements of the soldier, like a blind cosmos floundering and fumbling to find his way. 4. His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin The comparison vividly describes the look of the soldier in agony and pain during the final moments of his death.LANGUAGE OF THE rime These argon some examples of the poets use of emotive and intense row We cursed with sludge limped on blood-shod This is a redundant issuing and not intend for resale 4 Understanding and Appreciating rime Drunk with f correcten off He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning White eyes writhing in his face Froth-corrupted lungs The language used is both(prenominal) appropriate and effective and put forwards the sympathy of the reader. THIS IS THE sliminess TIME, MY LOVE The theme of this poem is around a multitude whose dreams of a better sustenance have been threatened by the destructive creator of the unsung invader.The atmosphere of the poem is one of tension, timidity, anxiety. Everywhere the faces of men are strained and anxious. This is because of the presence of soldiers wholly around the rural area embrown beetles crawl about. Even nature is sympathetic to the cause of the people as expressed in the specify red flowers change state their heads in awestricken tribulation. The poets biliousness is one of lamentation for the misery of his people, the instability and sorrow brought about by the strange invader. Imagery The images appeal to the sense of bulk and sound.They present visual pictures that are striking. The picture of the soldiers, all around the record brown beetles crawl about, in their thick armoury, the hard practical application on their backs is like beetles. Here you hear the tramping of soldiers whose boots of steel tramp dismantle the s giveer grass. You can also see the slender grass trampled upon and looking wi at that placed. This is a free publication and not intend for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry Figurative Language Metaphor all in all around the land brown beetles crawl about. 5 The soldiers are analysed to brown beetles.Personification Red flowers bend their heads in awful sorrow. The poet gives the flower qualities of a piece cosmos the sensation of sorrow. Irony It is the festival of guns, the carniv al of misery. The lyric poem festival and carnival are indicative of joyous celebrations but what the pastoral is really experiencing is sorrow, not joy. The char Speaks to the Man who has employed Her Son In this poem, a m different expresses her compact affection for her son. She reflects on the unfortunate circumstances of her living as a single parent. She is now concerned about the welfare of her son.This woman is seen as one, whose deep devotion and dedication to her son make her transcend her difficulties. Her right to her son takes priority. But what shatters her now, is the fact that her son is employed by some dust who appears to be engaged in shady activities. To her, the gun he carries is a symbol of destructiveness and criminal activities. The conversational style of the poem makes the reader translate with the thoughts and feelings of the m otherwise. The reader discerns in the mother, fortitude, resilience and spiritual strength which inform her actions. 1. Wh at is the theme of the poem? . The conception of the poem is one of (a) disgust and anger (b) optimism and entrust (c) sadness and despair This is a free publication and not intended for resale 6 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 3. Which of these voice communication describe the tone of the poem? formal, conversational, angry, serious? 4. What do the distinguishs a metallic tide, rising in her communicate each morning purpose about the mother? 5. He treated all his children With equal and unbiased indifference. What do the above lines suggest about the father? 6. wherefore do you stand for that the mother is upset about the job her son has taken? 7.What do the black cloth and veil hat symbolize? 8. call for the line which expresses the mothers helplessness. 9. wherefore does she allude to the thief on the left side of the cross? 10. How do you feel as you read the poem? GODS brilliancy The poem is expressive of Gods presence in the essential world even though mans exploits have served to annul nature and its bile and purity. To the poet, Gods grandeur is ever pervasive, revelation itself like flame from shook frustrate. The boy flame is substantive as it conveys the brilliance of God as the shining arc the foil gives off.The poet employs the image of an electric charge, which develops into a flame or a light suggesting the power of His greatness. Gods light assumes a richness like the ooze of oil crushed or pressed to it finest quality. As the oil gathers strength to richness so too does Gods greatness. The images are all interwoven and expanded to express the grandeur of God. In stanza 2, though man is aware of Gods greatness, he still exploits it through commerce and industrialization, blemishing the earth and destroying the freshness of nature.The repetition, generations have trod, have trod, have trod conveys mans persistence in his ruthless exploitation. The persistent repetition of the words have trod leading to smeared and blear ed, tells of the poets anger and This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry disgust at mans actions. Mans smudge and smell are expressive of a polluted and squalid purlieu, all due to mans uncaring attitude. Unthinking man cares not about the destruction he leaves he expects not aware of what he has done to nature as expressed in the words nor can foot feel being shod. The ingrained sensation of walking barefooted is lost. The language of stanza one (1) lines 5-8, reveals a protest against mans ruthlessness. The poet reacts to mans inhumanity and indignity with reasoned becalmness, a protest without rage or anger for he is consoled by natures presence as described in stanza cardinal (2). In stanza devil(2), the poet tells that Gods presence or power through nature is renewable and invigorating in spite of mans destructive nature. genius is described as indestructible or inexhaustible. For all this, nature is never spent Ther e lives a dearest freshness deep down things. The poem ends on a positive note, an confidence that kicks from the poets faith as he is convinced of the Holy touchs presence with vitality and life and all that is luminous, warm snorkel glimmerer and bright wings 7 GODS GRANDEUR 1. using your own words, express in about two to trinity lines the theme of the poem. 2. State the central contrast which this poem presents betwixt God and man. develop it fully with reference to specific details. 3. lease one metaphor used in the poem and show how it is expanded. 4. exempt in your own words the meaning of the pursual lines. (a) Why do men now not reck his rod? b) And for all this, nature is never spent. 5. The poet uses the following devices. Select one example of each and comment on its effectiveness (a) simile (b) initial rhyme (c) compression (d) repetition This is a free publication and not intended for resale 8 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry ORCHIDS In this poem, the writer is about to move and is sending her material belongings to fill the empty spaces of her future life. One thing that cannot be boxed is the sentiment she feels for the orchids. The orchids belong to her frantic and spiritual world. The purple colour is a symbol of the blood of delivery male child on the Cross.What is evident in the poem is that some experiences in life can never be forgotten. Even though you may wish to suppress them, like a stubborn orchid, they bloom and blossom. For the poet, the orchid is an vehemence to the creative instinct. It sends a message, tells a story that reaches poetic dimensions. Even though the pressed orchids become thin and dried transparency, she believes that they still are a stimulus for poetic thought. In the poem, the material world is oppose against the world of nature. The world of nature is constant and eternal. 1. What is the theme of the poem? a) relocating to a new home (b) nurturing a spray of orchids (c) the poets impress ion of the orchids 2. What is the humour of the poem? 3. From where did the poet get the orchids? 4. What effect have the purple petals on the poet? 6. What was fantastic about the orchids? 7. (a) Explain the meaning of their thin dried transparency. (b) Of what appreciate is the thin dried transparency to the poet? This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 9 SOUTH Motivated by a deep sense of longing to return to the islands, the poet recaptures in his stock delightful scenes of his native land.He recalls the bright beaches, the fishermens houses and the sound of the sea which annunciate his birth. The poet has journeyed from the islands to distant lands where his experiences have been different from those in the islands. He has visited stormy cities, mat the sharp colored sleet and hail and the oppressive shadows of the forest. These are irrelevant to the warmth of the islands, and the salty brine of the sea. To the poet, the ocean that surrounds the islands is a symbol of adventure, the independence of the spirit and the limitless possibilities which reside in its vastness.In his view, the rivers that form part of his present environs remind him of a life that lacks purpose he feels resentment for the rivers. He recalls the refreshing memories of the sea which reflect the harmony between man and nature. He sees the shells, the fishermens houses, the pebbled path, the fish and the gulls and the black-and-blue sails. These are the treasures of the islands which he recaptures in the poem. These are the treasures which make him forget the pains, the sorrows and the hatred. 1. 2. 3. State briefly what the poem is about. Where is the experience taking place?Select two images in the poem. To which sense does each appeal? 4. 5. Select those expressions which show the poets experiences of hardship. Which literary device does the poet use in each of the following? bright beaches blue sharp slanting sleet t heir flowing runs on like our longing splash white sails slanted seaward 6. What is the mood or feeling of the poet? This is a free publication and not intended for resale 10 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry EPITAPH, envisage BLACK BOY, THEME for ENGLISH B. The poems Epitaph, Dreaming Black boy and discipline for English B have similar themes.They express favoritism and fanaticism in human relationships and reflect the denial of the basic human rights of recognition, justice, equating and exemption. The three poems are treated differently. You will observe that in the poem Epitaph the image is vivid, stark and gruesome. Amidst the smasher of the falling sunlight and the swaying cane, the inanimate body of the slave hung. The image evokes in the reader anger against human brutality and com widenion for the fate of the slave. Through the sad tale, the poet achieves his intention of cock-a-hoop the reader insights into the brutality meted out to slaves in their days of ens lavement.The poem is a tribute to the dead slave, and is melancholic in mood and tone. Epitaph 1. Describe the image presented in stanza one of the poem. 2. Which of the following better(p) defines the feelings evoked by the image? (a) elation and despair (b) compassion and anger (c) hatred and defeat (d) humiliation and disbelief 3. Identify words and expressions which describe the mornings atmosphere. 4. The poet compares the singe body to a black apostrophe to pain, most likely because the swung body (a) resembled an apostrophe mark. (b) was prominently positioned as a mark symbolizing pain. c) was at the lovingness of two elements. (d) was the cause of much agony and pain. This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 5. Explain the meaning of each of the following expressions (a) punctuate our island tale (b) brutal sentences (c) anger pauses till they pass away 6. Do you think that the title of the poem is appropriate? take p lace a reason to support your answer. 7. Which of the following best expresses the theme of the poem? (a) a sorrowful tale (b) mans inhumanity to man (c) victory and defeat (d) a blot on our history 8.What is the mood experienced throughout the poem? 11 Dreaming Black Boy In the poem Dreaming Black Boy, the boy expresses his thoughts and emotions in abstract images. He dreams and wishes for the rights that should be accorded to all human beings recognition and love, and the freedom of movement and speech. These images appeal to the emotions and the reader empathizes with the boy who is being denied these rights. The poem is indite in blank verse. This makes the tone of the poem conversational. 1. What is the theme of the poem? (a) discomposure (b) relationships (c) alienation (d) injustice . Why do you think the black boy has dreams and wishes? 3. What does the boy wish according to stanza one (1) of the poem? (a) opportunity to vie (b) recognition and warmth This is a free publ ication and not intended for resale 12 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry (c) freedom to play (d) to forget his ancestors 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Why does the boy wish for an opportunity to be educated? Identify two pieces of evidence which show the boys feeling of rejection. Identify the lines in which the boy feels that his freedom of movement and speech have been suppressed.Who are the burn throwers and the plotters in pyjamas alluded to in stanza four (4)? What do you think is the tone of the poem? (a) What terrible burden does the boy suffer? (b) What is his attitude to suffering? Theme for English B In the poem Theme for English B the poet deals with a learners feeling of frustration and chagrin in the society. The thoughts which he expresses on the page echo the issues that confront him in an environment of whites. The mind of the student is confused. Though he was born and bred in a society of white people, and educated in a school among whites, even he feels a sense of ali enation.In the page that he writes, he is justifying his right to acceptance and equality, on the basis that all people share a common graphic heritage of instincts, emotions and tastes. He firmly believes that each scarper impacts on the other and learns from each other. Perhaps he is questioning whether discrimination should give way to harmony among the ladders. 1. What does the word true in line four (4) -Then, it will be true, imply? (a) authenticity 2. (b) ingenuousness (c) credibility (d) integrity Identify the aspects of the students life which wait to make the assignment difficult. This is a free publication and not intended for resaleUnderstanding and Appreciating Poetry 3. The students page would be based on (a) life at the college (b) his instincts and emotions (c) a resolution of the conflicts in his mind (d) the Harlem experience 4. What does the student wish to say by listing the things he likes? 5. What makes the student and the instructor part of each other? 6. According to the students page, which of the following statements are True? (a) The page on which the student writes is coloured. (b) Feelings, natural instincts and tastes are manifested by all people. (c) Sometimes whites and coloured cannot tolerate each other. d) All people are not born equal. (e) Each race impacts on the other and learns from each other. 7. Which words best describe the computer address of the student? impulsive, rational, obstinate, compromising, intelligent, outspoken, unbalanced. The poem is written in Blank Verse form. What does this lend to the style and tone of the poem? 13 8. Test Match Sabina viridity 1. What is the theme of the poem? (a) Fall from glory (b) An exciting cricket match (c) Reflections of a spectator (d) Failed batsmen 2. Which line in the poem tells that the crowd lacked the lame response to the match? 3. The speaker is critical of the English batting.This is a free publication and not intended for resale 14 Understanding and Apprecia ting Poetry cite the lines in support of the criticism. 4. Why is the poets rationale for a thudding game not convincing even to himself? 5. What is the tarnished rosette which the writer mentions in the last stanza? Why is it tarnished? 6. The tone of the poem is (a) sarcastic (b) formal (c) conversational (d) harsh 7. What does the native language of the folk lend to the poem? 8. In this poem you hear two voices. Whose voices are they? 9. What is meant by the line proudly wearing the rosette of my skin? 0. What insights do you get of the relationship between the English and the native folk from the expression, Eh white bwoy? Ol Higue and Le Loupgarou Many stories of strange supernatural flakes derive from the cultural tradition of the folk. These characters form an important part of the folklore brought by the Africans to the westbound Indies. Some of these have been preserved in narratives and poems. The character to which this poem Ol Higue alludes is the Soucouyant whose mis sion is to draw blood from human beings. Read the poem. controvert the following questions. 1.What image of Ol Higue does the poet present in stanza one (1)? 2. What complaint does Ol Higue make in stanza one (1)? credit the expressions which support your answer. This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry 3. (a) Why would Ol Higue be desirous like cane fire? (b) Why does she have to count a thousand grains? 4. Why is the blood of babies attractive to Ol Higue? 5. How and when does she perform her blood-sucking task? 6. pop off one reason wherefore Ol Higue would love women giving birth. 7. Do you dispense Ol Higue a mysterious character? . What feeling does Ol Higue evoke in you as you read the poem? 15 Le loupgarou Read the poem and discuss the following questions based on it. 1. (a) (b) What is the unusual talk alluded to in line one (1) of the poem? What does the word curious suggest? 2. Who are the greying women? 3. Why, d o you think, Le Brun was greeted by slowly shutting jalousies? 4. Which word describes Le Bruns dress? 5. What, do you think, is the bargain Le Brun made with the fiends? 6. What was responsible for Le Bruns ruin? 7. How did people know that le Brun had changed himself into a dog-iron? 8.What literary device is used in line one(1)? A curious tale that threaded through the townspeople. 9. .How do you feel as you read the last two lines of the poem? You will observe that both poems deal with the supernatural. The Soucouyant is the counterpart of the Le Loupgarou. They both make a pact with the devil to engage in mysterious and fiendish dealings. This is a free publication and not intended for resale 16 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry They both are greedy and are ruined through their greed. They both evoke fear in the people around them. Once upon a succession Read the poem and discuss the questions based on it. . What do you think is the theme of the poem? (a) Behavioural patt erns in human relationships. (b) Attitudes of people in a modern age. (c) Loss of culture founded on love, sincerity and goodwill. (d) How people lived long ago. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What difference is there in how people laughed long ago and how they laugh now? Give one piece of evidence that shows how people deceive others. Why, do you think, that the poet wears different faces in different contexts? Provide evidence to show that the poet is influenced by the behavior and attitudes of the new age. Does the poet like the changes in behaviour?Give reasons to support your answer. 7. Which of the following best expresses the mood of the poet? (a) melancholy (b) disappointment (c) anger (d) reflection 8. 9. What can you infer about the character of the poet? Which of the following lessons can one learn from this poem? (a) Pattern your lives to please others (b) Appearances are often deceptive This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry (c) Va lues should change to suit modern living. (d) Be yourself at all times. (e) Honesty, love and consideration should guide your actions. 7 discharge my Guilt 1. What is the theme of the poem? a) An accident b) A plea for gentleness c) Two injured birds d) A confused mind 2. 3. 4. 5. What hazard is the poet recalling? Where and when did the incident take place? Identify two contrasting images of the birds, before and afterwards the incident occurred. Select images that appeal to the sense of (a) sight (b) sound Explain each and say whether it is appropriate or not. 6. Identify two similes in the poem. Explain each and say whether it is appropriate or not. 7. 8. 9. What mood does the poem evoke in the reader?What are your feelings towards the poet? State the qualities of the poet which you discern in the poem. To An Athlete Dying Young 1. 2. What is the theme of the poem? What is the intention of the poet? This is a free publication and not intended for resale 18 Understanding and A ppreciating Poetry 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Find two expressions in stanza one (1) which indicate the spectators response to the athletes victory. What does the line Townsman of a stiller town suggest about the athlete? Quote two expressions in stanza three (3) which show the poets view on glory and laurels.Why would quiet and cheers sound the same to the dying athlete? Write T attached to the statements that are true. By dying unsalted the athletes glory a. died with him. b. is unchallenged on the field. c. does not gain wide acclaim. d. is not worn down by time. e. is suppressed by other runners. 8. The poem best exemplifies a. reflections on the transience of fame and glory. b. a tribute on the demise of a young successful athlete. c. ovation on the victory of a young adult. d. thoughts on life after death. It is the Constant Image of Your Face In this poem, the poet experiences a deep feeling of ill-doing and remorse.The poet has framed an image of his good whose face is constantly b efore him, while he is engrossed in a world of his own a world in which thoughts are like knives, hurling accusations at him. These accusations cut deeply into the poets thought and remind him of his treachery to his native rural area. Apparently, the poet has left his native home, having been captivated by the beauty and assurances of his beloved. However, deep in his heart he knows that no other love can lay claim to his loyalty but his fatherland which is above This is a free publication and not intended for resaleUnderstanding and Appreciating Poetry all other loves. Feelings of remorse and guilt plague the thoughts of the poet. To him, leaving his country is like an act of treason and treachery. Although he prizes his beloved, he pleads for forgiveness from his country whose tenderness matches or surpasses that of the beloved. 1. What do you think is the theme of the poem? (a) The guilt and remorse of a poet (b) Alienation from ones own country (c) The poets love and loyalty for his native country 2. Describe the mood which the poet experiences throughout the poem. Give suitable quotations in support of your answer. a) Select one image in the poem. (b) To which sense does it appeal? (c) Explain its importance in the poem. 4. (a) What is the meaning of my world of knives? (b) What effect does this world have on the poet? 5. 6. Quote two expressions which show that the poets love for his country surpasses all other loves. What qualities of the poets character are revealed in the poem? 19 3. West Indies, U. S. A. In this poem, the poet records his impressions of the Islands from a view, thirty thousand feet above. He sees some of the islands as more prominent than others.Some are more culturally and economically essential as can be seen in his impression of Puerto anti-racketeering law, with silver linings in the clouds and the smoothen of San Juan. But to him, each country has its own distinctive owns and characteristics, which are highlighted at its terminal. Against these islands, the poet sees the influence of the United States on Puerto Rico he sees Puerto Rico as a representation of the United States Americas backyard. soaked laws are enforced at its terminal to prevent passengers This is a free publication and not intended for resale 20Understanding and Appreciating Poetry from entering without legal documentation. The fear of foreigners who sneak into the island and tarnish the image of the land is well noted by the poet. He notes the influence of American culture and lifestyle in Puerto Rico. The illumination of the cities pulsating with life is well captured in the polished Cadillacs and Micro chips. 1. What is the theme of the poem? 2. (a) Select the simile in the first two lines of the poem. (b) Explain why the poet makes the comparison, (c) Do you find it interesting and original? Why? 3. What is the distinctive feature of each of the following terminals? a) Port au Prince (b) Piarco (c) Vere Bird 4. Why are all p assengers other than those embarking at San Juan, required to stay on the flavorless? 5. What do you think is that vaunted sanctuary? Why is it considered a vaunted sanctuary? 6. Select three pieces of evidence which show Americas influence on the lifestyle of Puerto Rico. 7. What do you think is the mood of the poem? 8. What is the tone of the poet? cool Upon Westminster Bridge The poet records his impressions of the scene at early dawn when no mechanised activity is going on and the air is clean and devoid of smoke.He is touched(p) by the beauty and splendour of the city. Only those whose souls are dull would not be touched by the awe-inspiring scene the greatness is majestic. All objects natural or otherwise are now visible because of the glitter of the morning sun which spreads over the landscape. Never before has the poet witnessed such beauty which the splendour of the sun radiates over valley, rock or hills. Not tho is the beauty enchanting, but also the peace and calm w hich the scene has on the mind of the poet In such an atmosphere even the houses seem incognizant and all is still.In the scene there is no activity. The air is smokeless because the truckers have This is a free publication and not intended for resale Understanding and Appreciating Poetry not started to pour their emissions into the atmosphere. The poet is deeply impressed and stunned at the calm and beauty of the morning. His exclamation, Dear God tells us that his response has reached spiritual and foretell dimension. 21 1. What is the theme of the poem? 2. Where and when is the experience taking place? 3. What is the mood of the poet? 4. Select the figure of speech in the first five lines of the poem.With what does the poet compare the city? 5. Why is the air smokeless? 6. Select lines which show that there is an absence of noise in the scene. 7. What does the poet mean by the very houses seem asleep? 8. From the poets impressions of the scene, what can you tell of his charact er? 9. Do you like the poem? Give reasons to support your answer. A Contemplation Upon Flowers The poet sees in the flowers a calm and willing acceptance of death brave and harmless, humble and modest, the flowers are born of the earth and to the earth they return with no resistance.Unlike the poet, the flowers subject themselves to the natural order and pattern of the universe. They bloom in a particular sequence and then fall to earth. The poet wishes his life to be perpetually in dance for he fears the winter, the harbinger of death. His pride, vanity and fear make him unwilling to afford to death. However, the poet longs to be like the flowers, to smile and look cheerfully at death. He needs to accept death without fear and to make peace with the inevitable. The wreaths of flowers top and sweeten the atmosphere in times of death.The poet wishes to be like the flowers, that his breath will sweeten and perfume his death. Enslaved by pride, vanity and fear, the poet struggles to come to ground with the experience of death. This is a free publication and not intended for resale 22 Understanding and Appreciating Poetry The poet represents humanity in his fear of death. The flowers represent Nature and its willing acceptance of death. 1. What do you think is the theme of the poem? 1. Select the qualities in the flowers that the poet admires. 3. What does the expression that I could gallant it like you mean? . Embroidered garments suggest (a) the flowers are very beautiful (b) even the most beautiful are subject to death (c) Nature produces colorful things (d) the petals of the flowers are adorned with a pattern 5. Why does the poet wish his life would be always spring? 6. What two lessons can the flowers teach the poet? 7. What makes it difficult for the poet to accept death? 8. The word which best describes the mood of the poet is (a) joyful (b) sorrowful (c) pensive (d) angry This is a free publication and not intended for resale