The Chimney Sweeper

1. What does this poem reveal about the conditions of life in the London of Blake’s day?
The conditions revealed are that this was a time where jobs consist of what services
could be render to the public. It seems like the worst and unsafe work conditions ever

2. Describe the speaker’s character. What kind of person is he? Evidence that supports
your description.
The speaker of this poem seems to be reminiscing when he too was a young boy sold
into being a chimney sweeper. And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So, your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.

3. What pun do you find in line 3? Is its effect comic or serious?

Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!" – within this very line explains how
little the speaker was when he was sold as a child and unable to form or speak complete
words. The comic relief would be where the child would yell SWEEP ( the service of his
labor – instead the speaker cries WEEP, which is exactly what children do.

4. In Tom Dacra’s dream, what wishes would come true? Do you understand them to be
the wishes of the chimney sweepers, the poet, or of both?
All the souls of the dead little boys where release by an angel and taken up into heaven
where they found peace and it was when they were dead that they were able to be and
play as children.

5. In the last line, what is ironic in the speaker’s assurance that the dutiful “need not fear
harm”? What irony is there in his urging all “to do their duty”? Who have failed in their
duty to him? The ending of the poem states that Tom need not fear harm from the
potential beating or punishment that could come from his master/ owner if he did not
work.

6. What is the tone of this poem? Angry? Hopeful? Sorrowful? Compassionate? (Don’t feel
obligated to sum it up in a single word). The tone of this poem was defiantly bleak and
sorrowful. To be just a child and overworked into dirty unhealthy conditions like slavery.
The Ruined Maid
1. Where does this dialogue take place? Who are the two speakers?
The dialogue takes place on a random day in the middle of two between to women. A
country girl and a former maid whom use to work together.

2. Comment on the poet’s use of the word “ruined.” What is the conventional meaning of
the word when applied to a woman? As ‘Melia applies it to herself, what is its meaning?
The use of the word ‘ruin’ could possibly be one that means losing her moral values and
purity and look toward the works of prostitution.

3. Sum up the attitude of each speaker toward the other. What details of the new ‘Melia
does the first speaker most dwell on? In what way is there an ironic discrepancy
between the poet’s view of the characters (he is not impressed with all the little details)
and their view of themselves?
Amelia says that she is ruined, yet her old friend the country girl admires Amelia’s new
life and wants to be like her, as for Amelia herself she gives off the impression that shes
better off now that she need not to put up with hard labor in rags. Irony comes in when
one thinks a hard working woman ages faster through stress when in fact it is the loss of
ones purity and morals that actually can ruin a woman’s reputation.

4. In losing her country dialect, ‘Melia is presumed to have gained in sophistication. What
does the poet suggest by her use of “ain’t” in the last line? I would assume she meant
you are not ruined.

The Unknown Citizen

1. Read the two-line epitaph at the beginning of the poem as carefully as you read what
follows. How does the epitaph help establish the voice by which the rest of the poem is
spoken?
The epitaph was written formally as would any government who address an individual

2. Who is speaking?
The speaker must be person who has access to all these private official records
 3. What ironic discrepancies do you find between the speaker’s attitude toward to the
subject and that of the poet himself? By what is the poet’s attitude made clear?
The attitude within this poem is one that is observant of the mans life as far as what
records are shown of him. Not that the speaker would know this man personally
because there were no records of his personal life.

4. In the phrase “The Unknown Soldier” (of which “The Unknown Citizen” reminds us),
what does the word “unknown” mean? What does it mean in the title of this poem?
The word Unknown used in the title was to emphasize that this was a poem written
about a man whom was judge off the demographic records and not of him personally.

5. What tendencies in our civilization does Auden satirize?

The satire used within this poem was poking fun at how the government has records of
everyone by the demographic records that are surveillance.

6. How would you expect the speaker to define a Modern Man, if an iPod, a mobile phone,
a Playstation (or X-Box), a car, and a refrigerator are “everything” a Modern Man needs?
To define the Modern Man now-a-days I assume would be Here lies a materialistic
individual crippled by the means of advancing technology and caught up in the illusion
that having the latest tech and objects gives him status.

The Ballad of Birmingham

1. What is the message or implied theme?
The message was clear to me as what we think is the safest place away from violence is
in fact a prime target for violence. There is no room for peace when all is fighting a war.

2. What is ironic about the mother’s denying her child permission to take part in a protest
march? The mother was certain that there would be no guns blasting in a place of
sanctuary like the church.

First Love: A Quiz

1. How does Stallings adapt a classical myth of abduction and rape into a contemporary
story? Give specific examples. By the use of modern theologies “He came up to me:
 a. in his souped-up Camaro” – “He offered me: a ride – “The place he took me to: was
dark as my shut eyes”

2. In each option, does the speaker see the man as dangerous? If so, why does she go with
him? Yes the speaker describes this man as dangerous by the descriptions of his
behaviour and actions.

3. What is your interpretation of the last line? My interpretation of “all of the above”
would prove all feeling in one a=on just how revolting this man made this young woman
feel. Every option was disturbing and gives the reader a sense of neglect and uneasiness.