Author: Merlyn Guzman

How does the poet bear witness to tragedy or more difficult aspects of human life?

The speaker states that adults are left without someone to look after them. He wants to indicate that Jews had gone through many hardships, e.g.,  the Holocaust. The poem is cynical at first. God turns his back on adults, unlike children.  This suggests that God is only benevolent toward the innocent. The adults that truly need the help may not receive it. The poem takes a more positive turn after the second stanza. He suggests that God does want to help his people. As long as grown-ups truly love him, God will lend out his helping hand. Love is the only way to reach euphoria.

Consider both the comedic and tragic aspects (and the potential relation between the two) in Frost’s poem “Mending Wall.”

“Mending Wall” tells the story of two neighboring farmers. A stonewall that divides their properties was recently destroyed. The speaker wants to leave the area the way it is but the neighbor is forceful about rebuilding it. This alludes to the thought that privacy is important and division are necessary. The wall acts a barrier to friendship. It is comedic and tragic that while the speaker wants to be closer to his neighbor, the neighbor opposes the thought.

What is the relationship between the living and the dead in the story? How does Gabriel’s speech relate to his realization at the end of the story?

Throughout the story, he living think about the dead constantly. Gabriel wants the dead to remain in the past. He gives the speech to remind everyone that reminiscing is not what they should do. After thinking about Michael Fuery’s death, Gabriel starts to feel somber. In the end, he realizes that once he is dead, the living will forget about him just like he insists they forget about all the deceased.

How does one reconcile Gurov’s apparent misogyny with his newfound of love of Anna Sergeyevna?

Gurov calls women the “lower race” and makes his misogynic views present from the start. Despite this, he prefers the presence of women. He is a philanderer. Gurov puts on a façade around women claiming to act the way women prefer. On vacation, Gurov meets Anna, “the lady with the dog”. He is intrigued by her and starts an affair with Anna. After spending time with her, Gurov changes; He falls in love for the time. Even knowing that Anna is also married, Gurov travels to her home and confesses his love. He goes from being a womanizer to being serious about pursuing a relationship.

Consider the symbolism (or various symbolisms or meanings or emotional or psychological values) of the gilded coin​in the story.

The short story “The Gilded Six-Bits” tells the story of a couple that experiences marital obstacles. The symbolism in the gilded six-bits changes throughout the story. In the beginning, Joe showers Missie May with gifts. This moment makes one believe that their marriage is filled with happiness. Just like the gilded six-bits, there is more to a marriage than one sees in the surface; All that glitters is not gold.

It is not until Otis appears in town that Missie May’s and Joe’s marriage is tested. Otis is a flashy man popular with women. He is always carrying pieces of gold with him. One day, Joe finds that Missie May slept with Joe and as Otis flees, he leaves behind a gilded coin (six-bits). The gilded coin serves as a reminder to Missie May that she tainted the marriage by sleeping with Otis. Toward the end of the story, Joe exchanges the coin for chocolate kisses. This event shows that Joe is willing to move past Missie May’s moment of infidelity and is ready to become more involved in the child’s life.

Consider Dickinson’s uses of literary devices such as irony, imagery, and metaphors.

Emily Dickinson writes the first poem about one’s path to death. One reaches eternity by walking through the “forest.” The “forest of the dead” is imagery used to help the audience visualize a purgatory-like state where one meets their fate (62).

The poem “Hope is the thing…” uses an extended metaphor to compare hope to a bird. The bird is “heard [in] the most chill land” and “never stops” (314). Just like the bird, even in the strongest obstacle, hope cannot dissipate.

Dickinson personifies Death in “Because I could not stop for Death…” to have Death viewed in a new light. Death is not meant to be terrifying but rather peaceful. “Death – He kindly stopped for me” (712). Here, she personifies death amicably. At first, the poem is written as if she had recently passed away. Ironically, at the end of the poem, she describes a century as a day to indicate that she has been dead longer than the audience originally thinks.