Essay Questions

Explain the meaning of the line "One man would like to suffer in front of the stove, and another believes that he would recover his health beside the window’’ in the poem entitled "Anywhere Out Of The World’’.

The line from above appears in the beginning of the poem after the narrator claims we would like as humans to switch our beds with someone else, believing we are better suited to deal with their problems rather than to deal with ours. Through this line the narrator wants to suggest how we, as humans, always compare our problems with the problems other people have and how we always see ourselves being more ready to deal with their problems rather than to deal with our own problems. The reason behind this is that we are always looking at those problems from the outside and thus we see maybe possibilities other people to not see and ways we could have solved those problems others may have not thought about.

Why did the narrator think Lisbon will be the perfect place for his soul in the poem entitled "Anywhere Out Of The World’’?

The narrator describes the city of Lisbon as being the perfect city for his soul to rest. He presents the city in very positive terms and describes it as a sunny place where every person is happy and has no problems. The city is surrounded by water which makes the narrator glad and he also mentions the impressive buildings in the city, built out of marble and other precious materials. All this elements make Lisbon for the narrator the perfect place for his soul.

What are the cities mentioned in the poem entitled "Anywhere Out Of The World’’ and what are their main characteristics?

The first city mentioned is Lisbon and the narrator praises it because of its light and also because of its architecture. The narrator also mentions how the city is always warm and how a person could find leisure and a good time in the city. Ne next city mentioned is Holland and the narrator praises it because of its association with art and beautiful landscapes. Next Rotterdam is mentioned because of its natural beauty and the forests surrounding it. Bavaria is also mentioned because according to the narrator it embodies the European spirit. The narrator mentions cities such as Torino and the Pole as being analogues of death.