Reading Skills
Lincoln says this coping mechanism gives him “temporary relief” from emotional suffering.
What are telling stories and jokes?
Lincoln implies society viewed mental suffering in this way.
What is a weakness to be hidden or ignored?
Lincoln uses rhetorical questions primarily to encourage readers to reconsider this issue.
What is society’s treatment of invisible suffering?
The metaphor comparing consciousness to “a garden” suggests emotional health requires this.
What is attention and care?
The overall tone of the passage is best described using these two words.
What are reflective and sorrowful?
In the opening paragraph, Lincoln describes feeling trapped by this overwhelming condition.
What is emotional suffering or profound sadness?
The phrase “I must die or be better” suggests Lincoln sees his future in these terms.
What are extreme possibilities with no middle ground?
The contrast between visible wounds and “wounds that cannot be seen” highlights this inequality.
What is the unequal treatment of physical and emotional suffering?
Lincoln compares his emotional burden to “any load that mankind could carry” to emphasize this.
What is the intensity of his suffering?
The repetition of “every day, every minute, every second” creates this effect.
What is relentless suffering or urgency?
The second paragraph primarily expands the discussion from personal suffering into this broader topic.
What is social commentary about mental health and invisible suffering?
When Lincoln states “there would be not one cheerful face on earth,” he emphasizes this feeling.
What is overwhelming and isolating emotional pain?
Lincoln compares “a wounded spirit” to physical injury in order to make emotional suffering feel more this.
What is tangible or understandable?
The “lit up lantern in the dark corridors” symbolizes this temporary experience.
What is relief or hope amid despair?
The long, emotionally layered syntax in the opening paragraph reflects this aspect of Lincoln’s condition.
What is emotional turmoil or overwhelming distress?