Terminology
What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?
Both compare two things but simile using "like" or "as"
Rudyard Kipling's "If-" is directly addressed to whom?
His son
'If-' by Rudyard Kipling and 'Sonnet 116' by William Shakespeare are suggested as a pair for comparison. What key theme or idea could you compare across these two poems?
Qualities/virtues of a good person or individual (in 'If-') and the nature of true love (in 'Sonnet 116'). Both deal with admirable, steadfast qualities
Beyond mother-daughter relationships, what other themes are explored in 'The Joy Luck Club'?
Belonging and identity
Male power dynamics
Issue of Language
Ghosts and Visions
Sujata Bhatt's 'Search for My Tongue' uses a metaphor where the speaker's mother tongue is compared to what?
A plant
What is the literary device where human qualities are given to inanimate objects or abstract ideas?
Personification
What specific event or situation is the setting for Imtiaz Dharker's "Blessing"?
A drought
Imtiaz Dharker's 'Blessing' and Sujata Bhatt's 'Search for My Tongue' both deal with themes of identity and experience.... How might you compare the significance of language in these two poems?
'Blessing' uses language to vividly describe the physical experience of water..., while 'Search for My Tongue' uses language metaphorically and literally to explore the loss and recovery of a mother tongue and identity
Tell me ONE mother-daughter relationship and how their relationship changes throughout the novel?
Suyuan Woo & June Woo: June felt like she never really knew her mom or pleased her, but when she met her sisters she realized her mother is still present
An Mei & Rose: Rose's passivity is her greatest fault, but her mother helped her realize she needs to stand up for herself.
Lindo Jong & Waverly Jong: Waverly always felt like her mom bragged about her, but when they are at the salon she understands her mother more when they talk about the Chinese vs American face one must put on.
Ying Ying & Lena: Ying Ying and Lena both struggle to voice their opinions and Lena is unable to object to her husband's rigid money structure. Ying Ying told Lena about her story to show her taht passivity will not solve her problems
Christina Rossetti's 'Remember' and Dylan Thomas's 'Do not go gentle into that good night' both address the subject of death.... Compare the attitude or message towards death conveyed in each poem.
Remember' is a request to the beloved to remember the speaker after death, but ultimately suggests forgetting is better than sadness.... 'Do not go gentle into that good night' is a passionate exhortation to resist death and cling to life
The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause is known as what?
Enjambment
U.A. Fanthorpe's 'Half-past Two' features a child held in detention because he did what?
Something Very Wrong
U.A. Fanthorpe's 'Half-past Two' and Vernon Scannell's 'Hide and Seek' both depict aspects of childhood experience.... What difference in the mood or atmosphere is created in these two poems, particularly towards the end?
'Half-past Two' ends with the child left alone and potentially confused about time.... 'Hide and Seek' ends with the seeking child also left alone, creating a sense of isolation or the end of innocence as the game finishes and others leave
How does the act of storytelling and sharing personal narratives serve as a means of communication and understanding between generations?
The mothers share their stories to give wisdom through personal experience
Louis MacNeice's 'Prayer Before Birth' was written in 1944 during which major world event?
WWII
What is the term for the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, which creates its rhythm or 'beat'?
Metre / Meter
John Keats' 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' is written in the form of a traditional folk song or narrative poem. What is this form called?
A ballad
D.H. Lawrence's 'Piano' and Alice Walker's 'Poem at Thirty-Nine' both involve the speaker reflecting on childhood.... What is the primary sensory trigger for the memories in 'Piano', and how does this contrast with the way memories are accessed in 'Poem at Thirty-Nine'?
In 'Piano', the trigger is the sound of piano music.... 'Poem at Thirty-Nine' is a broader reflection on the speaker's father and their relationship, triggered by remembering him
What is a potential symbol in this book and what is the significance?
mah jong representing cultural identity, intergenerational connection, and the bonds of friendship
William Blake's 'The Tyger' uses a series of rhetorical questions to explore creation and its creator.... How does Robert Browning use language and structure differently in 'My Last Duchess' to reveal the speaker's character and attitudes...?
'The Tyger' uses repeated questions and a consistent rhythm.... 'My Last Duchess' uses a dramatic monologue in blank verse (iambic pentameter without rhyme), featuring conversational language and enjambment, which helps to reveal the Duke's controlling nature and pride through his speech...
What is the difference between a ballad and a sonnet?
A ballad is a narrative poem often written in a simple, song-like style, while a sonnet is a 14-line poem typically focused on a single theme or emotion. Ballads tell stories, while sonnets often express personal thoughts or feelings.
In Alice Walker's 'Poem at Thirty-Nine', what is the relationship between the speaker and the person she is remembering?
her father
John Agard's 'Half-caste' challenges prejudiced ideas through direct address and rhetorical questions.... Louis MacNeice's 'Prayer Before Birth' uses a direct address (to God) and repetition.... What is a key difference in the speaker's stance or plea in these two poems?
In 'Half-caste', the speaker is challenging others' perceptions and asserting identity.... In 'Prayer Before Birth', the speaker (an unborn child) is making a plea for protection and purity before entering a dangerous world
What is one way the historical context of the Joy Luck Club is relevant?
The women's movement was happening in this time, so the feminist ideas in this book are relevant--more women were in the workforce, demanding rights, questioning traditional family roles
In Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess', the Duke is speaking to an envoy regarding what future event?
His next marriage