Themes and message
What type of economic system is this poem a commentary of?
Capitalism
What is the meaning of gaunt?
Thin and haggared
Identify the figure of speech in line one.
Hyperbole
What type of poem is this?
Philosophical poem
What nationality is the Poet?
American
What are the deeds that upset young men and which cannot be undone.
Killing in the name of war.
Famine
Without food
Explain the figure of speech in line 1.
This is an exaggeration as the speaker cannot have possible witnessed all the evil in the world.
How many stanzas are there?
Give a modern term for treacherous seducers of young women.
Sugar Daddy
pestilence
disease
Why would the men be crying in secret?
Men don't cry.
What is the rhyme scheme?
Free verse.
Who is the speaker of the poem?
The poet - Walk Whitman
Who are arrogant persons?
The rich
slights
small gestures that humiliate or ignore - microaggression.
How does the use of repetition support the message of the poem.
The repetition emphasises the evils in the world and by including it so often, it supports the idea that there are many injustices.
This poem is presented in the form of a list. Why would the poet have done this?
He is creating a subjective list of ills and atrocities happening around the world.
What is the speaker wanting us, as the reader, to do?
Stand up against evel and regain our humanity.
unrequitted love
Love which is not returned - friend zoned.
Explain the imagery of sailors casting lots.
There is only so many fish, not enough to feed them all. They have to play a lottery or decide who will be able to eat.
This poem has only 1 full stop. It is thus one long sentence. Explain how this supports the message of the poem.
The poem is unending, just like the suffering of life. The full stop in essence is like death. It comes once and only then is the suffering over.