Main Idea & Theme
What central idea do both texts explore?
The search for safety and security.
In Robinson Crusoe, what does the narrator promise during the storm?
To return home and never go to sea again.
What is the tone of Robinson Crusoe during the storm?
Fearful and regretful.
What literary device is used in Robinson Crusoe when the storm is compared to swallowing the ship?
Personification.
How do both texts define safety?
One sees safety as survival, the other as inner peace.
How does Robinson Crusoe show fear and survival?
The narrator fears for his life in a storm and vows to return home safely.
How does the speaker in Safety feel about danger?
He believes safety is found beyond physical life, possibly in death or the eternal world.
What is the tone of Safety?
Calm and accepting.
What kind of poem is Safety?
A sonnet.
What major difference exists between the perspectives of the two texts?
Robinson Crusoe fears danger, while Safety accepts it.
What is the main message of the poem Safety?
True safety is found beyond physical danger, possibly in death or eternity.
What lesson does the narrator in Robinson Crusoe learn temporarily?
That his father was right about the dangers of adventure.
Why does Defoe describe the storm in such vivid detail?
To show the narrator’s fear and desperation.
What does "a house that is not for Time’s throwing" mean in Safety?
It represents eternal peace that cannot be destroyed.
What real-world experiences might connect to the ideas in both texts?
Facing fear and deciding whether safety is physical or emotional.
How do the texts differ in their view of safety?
Robinson Crusoe sees safety as returning home, while Safety views it as something spiritual or eternal.
How does the perspective of the speaker in Safety contrast with Robinson Crusoe?
Robinson Crusoe fears for his life, while the speaker in Safety accepts danger peacefully.
What message does Safety suggest about war?
That physical safety is an illusion and true peace comes from something deeper.
Why does the poet repeat the word safe in Safety?
To emphasize that true safety is deeper than physical security.
If Robinson Crusoe had the same mindset as the speaker in Safety, how would his reaction to the storm be different?
He would accept his fate rather than making promises out of fear.
Which theme best connects both texts?
The idea that safety is uncertain and can mean different things—physical survival or peace beyond danger.
What can we infer about the narrator in Robinson Crusoe based on his changing thoughts?
He is impulsive—he regrets his choices during danger but forgets them when safe again.
How does Defoe use contrast in Robinson Crusoe to show the narrator’s changing emotions?
He describes the storm as terrifying, then later describes the calm sea as the most beautiful sight.
How does the structure of Robinson Crusoe help show his changing emotions?
The passage moves from panic to relief, showing his shift from fear to false confidence.
How could the title Safety have a different meaning for Robinson Crusoe than it does in the poem?
For Robinson Crusoe, safety means getting home; for the poem, it means finding eternal peace.