Essay Questions

What could the white mares and the red tiger in the poem "Night Clouds’’ symbolize?

In the Bible, the two animals are frequent mentions and have a higher meaning. In the book Revelation for example, the author talks about angels riding on white horses and they descend upon the wicked. When the authors in the Bible talk about tigers, they usually do it in relation with the devil since he is more than often compared with a dangerous tiger always ready to attack. Thus, the white mares could symbolize in the poem the powers that symbolize goodness and the tigers as being the forces of evil the mares have to fight against.

What is the brocade and the powdered hair mentioned in the poem entitled "Patterns’’?

Brocade and powdered hair were common elements in the 17th and 18th century and were often associated with the upper class and royalty. Brocade is a highly decorative fabric, usually made of silk. In the past, silver and gold were used to decorate those fabrics and were used as a symbol status. Powdered hair was also used as a symbol of social status since it was common during those times for the ruling class to wear intricate and expensive wigs which were powdered to hide away unpleasant scents. By mentioning these two elements, the author wanted to suggest that she was part of the higher class.

What could the little penny symbolize in the poem entitled "A Lady’’?

In the poem entitled ‘’A Lady’’, the narrator talks about a woman she admires and mentions how she would like to throw a penny in front of her just to amuse her. The penny in this context is used as a symbol that stands for the efforts the narrator would make to see the lady happy. The scene also transmits the idea that the lady can be easily amused by little things and does not need intricate plots to entertain her.