Discussion Questions--be sure to read the footnotes.
I. Divide the poem into the following sections.
II. Does "TA" demonstrate the qualities of poetry described Preface? Give examples of why or why not.
Questions
- 1-22: Begins with a natural scene. The speaker returns after five years--movement to speaker's thoughts/Hermit (reading from the NA website). What has changed?
- 22-49: What nature has meant to the speaker while absent. Focus on the second gift, beginning line 36. The last lines are difficult ones, so just try your best--see NA website.
- 49-57: Doubt that follows the seeming optimism of the previous section?
- 58-83: Stages of the speaker's life--see footnote 3. What time has past (line 83)?
- 83-111: Another difficult section--try your best here. How the adult is able to maintain a relationship with nature. Optimism here? Role of nature?
- 112-134: Doubt again? Why? Speaker invokes his sister.
- 134-159: What role will the speaker's sister play? How does the poem end (tone)? See NA website.