A Good Day
According to George Eliot, you can consider a day as "well spent" if you win the lottery - true or false?
False. You have to do something for someone else to consider your day well spent.
According to George Eliot, a day is bad only if you hit someone or steal money - true or false?
False. Your day is considered as "worse than lost" if you don't do anything nice for others.
What does the word "count" mean?
1. To number
2. To consider
The first stanza speaks of a wasted day - true or false?
False
When and where did George Eliot live?
Victorian England.
The speaker thinks that a day "well spent" (line 8) is a day when (–).
you help other people
The speaker thinks that you can count a day "as worse than lost" if (–).
you haven't helped another person
What should you do at "set of sun"?
Count the acts that you have done and see if you did anything kind for other people.
Who is the speaker talking to?
The reader.
Give TWO examples of how you can apply the message of the poem to your own life.
Examples:
1. Help a child cross the road
2. Help someone carry their groceries
3. Help my friend with their homework
When George Eliot says "help some soul", what does she mean by the word "soul"?
soul = person
A bad day can happen if…
i) you have had a very long, tiring day.
ii) you have done bad things during the day.
iii) you have done nothing for any other person.
you have done nothing for any other person.
"No act most small / That helped some soul and nothing cost –"
What does the speaker mean by the words "nothing cost"?
Something that requires no effort (doesn't cost money and doesn't waste time).
Why should we count the acts that we have done in a day?
To decide if we did something good.
What is George Eliot's real name?
Mary Anne Evans
Give one example of a good deed from the poem
1. One self-denying deed
2. One word that eased a heart
3. One glance, most kind, that fell like sunshine where it went.
What is the smallest thing you can do to avoid having a bad day?
A small act that "nothing cost" (requires no effort)
"One glance most kind / That fell like sunshine where it went –"
Why do you think the poet uses the word "sunshine" in this quote?
The poet uses the word "sunshine" to show how if you give someone a kind look it can make that person feel happy.
How many stanzas are in the poem? Which is positive and which is negative?
There are 2 stanzas.
The first one is positive and the second one is negative.
Why do you think that the poet chose to use a man's name for her writing?
In Victorian England, women were treated like children - their ideas were not taken seriously and they did not have many rights. Eliot wanted to be taken seriously.
On a day you have done a "self-denying deed" you should (–).
feel good about yourself
Why do you think the poet calls the poem "Count That Day Lost"?
If you had the opportunity to become a better person, but you missed it, for you, this is "worse than lost".
What does the speaker mean when she advises "bringing sunshine to a face"?
Making someone happy.
What is the message of the poem “Count That Day Lost”?
Everyone should do an act of kindness every day. This makes our lives more meaningful.
What were the values of Victorian England?
* hard work
* honesty
* sense of duty and responsibility towards the less fortunate