A Lady

By Amy Lowell You are beautiful and faded Like an old opera tune Played upon a harpsichord; Or like the sun-flooded silks Of an eighteenth-century boudoir1. In your eyes Smoulder the fallen roses of outlived minutes, And the perfume of your soul Is vague and suffusing2, With the pungence of sealed spice-jars. Your half-tones delight me, And I grow mad with gazing At your blent colors. My vigor3 is a new-minted penny, Which I cast at your feet. Gather it up from the dust, That its sparkle may amuse you.

Review Questions

1. A woman's bedroom or private room 2. Gradually spread through or over 3. Physical strength and good health.

Directions: Respond to these questions to the best of your ability. Answer the questions completely. 1. Identify two examples of simile: explain which two things are being compared in each simile. 2. Identify two examples of metaphor: explain which two things are being compared in each metaphor. 3. Identify one example of personification: explain what is being personified and how. 4. Identify one example of hyperbole: explain what is being exaggerated. 5. What is the subject of this poem? What is this poem about? Explain your response.

A Lady
By Amy Lowell You are beautiful and faded Like an old opera tune Played upon a harpsichord; Or like the sun-flooded silks Of an eighteenth-century boudoir1. In your eyes Smoulder the fallen roses of outlived minutes, And the perfume of your soul Is vague and suffusing2, With the pungence of sealed spice-jars. Your half-tones delight me, And I grow mad with gazing At your blent colors. My vigor3 is a new-minted penny, Which I cast at your feet. Gather it up from the dust, That its sparkle may amuse you.

Review Questions
Directions: Respond to these questions to the best of your ability. Answer the questions completely. If you need more space, use the back or a separate sheet. 1. Identify two examples of simile: explain which two things are being compared in each simile. You are beautiful and faded Like an old opera tune Played upon a harpsichord; Or like the sun-flooded silks Of an eighteenth-century boudoir. In these two similes, the lady is compared to an old opera tune played on a harpsichord and the lady is also compared to sun-flooded silks or an eighteenth century boudoir. 2. Identify two examples of metaphor: explain which two things are being compared in each metaphor. In your eyes / Smoulder the fallen roses of outlived minutes: in this example, time passed is compared to fallen roses. My vigor is a new-minted penny: compares the speaker's vigor to a penny. And the perfume of your soul / Is vague and suffusing / With the pungence of sealed spice-jars: students may interpret the perfume of the soul line to be a metaphor. I believe that it is an example of personification, but I would give them credit for it. In both cases, when she compares it to the pungence of sealed spice-jars, that is a metaphor. 3. Identify one example of personification: explain what is being personified and how.

the perfume of your soul Is vague and suffusing: the soul is being personified, as it cannot wear perfume. Students may also interpret the phrase "outlived minutes" to be an example of personification. 4. Identify one example of hyperbole: explain what is being exaggerated. And I grow mad with gazing / at your blent colors::the speaker is exaggerating the effect of gazing at the lady. The speaker is not literally going mad. 5. What is the subject of this poem? What is this poem about? Explain your response. This poem is about a vigorous young woman staring at an old lady. The speaker is quite intrigued by the appearance of the old lady, and she hope that the old woman is amused by her as well.