Readin questions 4
After reading William Wordsworth’s “Goody Blake and Harry Gill,” “Simon Lee,” and “We Are Seven,” answer the following questions in complete, grammatical sentences.
1. In “Goody Blake and Harry Gill,” William Wordsworth explores the cruelty of human beings. Harry Gill refuses to allow Goody Blake, who has run out of firewood and is freezing, to take wood from his hedge. For this, she curses him. What is his curse? Is there something symbolic about his curse? Explain.
2. At the end of “Simon Lee,” the speaker says “-I’ve heard of hearts unkind, kind deeds/With coldness still returning; Alas! the gratitude of men/Hath oftener left me mourning.” What is meant by this? How has the “gratitude of men” made the speaker “mourn” more than “hearts unkind”? Explain.
3. In “We Are Seven,” the speaker talks to a child who is seemingly confused about how many (living) brothers and sisters they have. The speaker says she has five, but she insists she has seven. Why is she confused? Explain.
Reading questions 5
After reading William Wordsworth’s “The Thorn,” “Expostulation and Reply,” and “The Tables Have Turned,” answer the following questions in complete, grammatical sentences.
1. In “The Thorn,” the speaker tells the tale of woman named Martha Ray, who appears to haunt a ridge near a hawthorn bush, a pond, and a mound dressed in moss. What is the significance of the “Thorn” in the poem? What purpose does it serve?
2. In “Expostulation and Reply,” there is a dialogue between friends Matthew and William about books and knowledge. What are their perspectives? What does William mean by “wise passiveness”? Explain.
3. In “The Tables Have Turned,” the speaker (presumably WIlliam) explains to his friend (presumably Matthew) that books are only a source of “dull and endless strife.” Why does the speaker think books are useless? Where does he believe wisdom comes from?
Reading questions 6
After reading Percy Shelley’s “Ozymandias,” “Ode to the West Wind,” and “To a Skylark,” answer the following questions in complete, grammatical sentences.
1. In “Ozymandias,” the speaker describes a story a traveler told him. What is the story about? What can we learn from the life of Ozymandias? In other words, what is the poem’s theme?
2. An ode is a lyric poem of praise to a thing; often odes glorify their subject with intense, beautiful language to increase our appreciation and wonder. In “Ode to the West Wind,” needless to say, the speaker is praising the west wind. Why? What does the speaker find so glorious about the west wind? (hint: section V of the poem)
3. As with “Ode to the West Wind,” in “To a Skylark,” the speaker praises the skylark, a species of bird known for its song and singing in flight. Why would the speaker be drawn to the skylark? (hint: think about a poet’s “job”)
Reading questions 7
After reading John Keat’s “Ode to a Nightingale,” “Ode to a Grecian Urn,” and “Ode to Melancholy,” answer the following questions in complete, grammatical sentences.
1. In the third stanza of “Ode to a Nightingale,” the speaker compares the human experience of life with a nightingale’s. What do humans experience that nightingales don’t? Explain.
2. In “Ode to a Grecian Urn,” what about the urn does the speaker praise? In other words, what is special about it?
3. In “Ode to Melancholy,” in the second stanza, the speaker suggests there is a way to endure melancholy. How? In other words, what should those experiencing sorrow “glut” themselves on? Explain.
