Read again, “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” p. 977 and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” p. 901 again. Look at both pieces where the narrator is waving off death or finding out there is no time left. Describe the differences in these two pieces where the fine line between light and dark is shown.
Read “Storm Warnings” p. 1026 again. Using specific descriiptions, how does the author compare this piece with the warnings of storms of our life or the slow arrival of storms that leaves us unprepared for what comes next in our life?
Read again, “I Hear America Singing” p. 962. As we discussed, the music that we used to hear is not the music we hear today. How do you connect this music to your life and why is this music significant in our history?
Read again, “Africa” p. 845 and “The Ballad of Birmingham” p. 948. How do the emotions and tone of each of these pieces connect? How do these pieces relate to today’s times?
Read again, “Of the Threads That Connect the Stars” p. 874 and “Still I Rise” p. 866 and discuss how these two pieces connect how we are connected by thread, that we keep pushing forward, and that we never give up. Remember, the first piece spans over three generations, however, the second piece spans over multiple generations.
Look at “One Perfect Rose” p. 915. Describe a perfect rose and what does is symbolize and be sure to include the qualities that it displays. How is a rose considered a social custom?
Go back and read “Frost at Midnight” on p. 959. How does the end resemble the beginning and why is this considered a circular motion? How does this change the speaker’s outlook? Describe how you view frost in the mornings and what is your perspective of how it covers the ground?
Look again at “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” p. 1194. Why does the rider stop here in the middle of the woods? Why would you stop on a snowy evening to reflect on your surroundings and how do you see falling snow as a cleansing of our earth or even an opportunity to stop and smell the roses. In our busy lives, do we stop often enough to stop, take a breath, and enjoy what is around us? Why do we need to do this and why is this important to help us refocus on our dreams and goals?
Look at “The Mouse’s Petition” p. 862 and “To the Mouse” p. 863. How does the author represent the mouse in both of these pieces. Do we sometimes feel trapped in our daily lives? Discuss how we might see ourselves as the mouse in these poems.
Choose one of the poems that we read and discussed or even if we did not get to them, that touched you the most and why? Remember to include the author’s connection to the piece and your connection.
