- How do Sor Juana’s poems express a typical Enlightenment perspective?
- What might Poems 145 and 164 suggest about Sor Juana’s attitude toward poetry?
- Why would Sor Juana choose a poem to address “foolish and unreasoning men”? How does the form of a piece of writing influence or shape its content and delivery? What is particular about this form?
- Identify some of the metaphors Sor Juana uses. What is their significance?
- Sor Juana’s poem is titled “Philosophical Satire.” In what sense is this similar to or diffferent from Swift’s satire?
- What sort of language and/or evidence does Swift use? How is this important to his argument?
- Do you notice any marked shifts within the essay? How might these be significant?</li