Essay Questions

How is the dog and the boy in the poem entitled "On this Very Street in Belgrade’’ similar?

The poem entitled "On this Very Street in Belgrade’’ tells the story of a young boy whose life was changed when the building where he lived was attacked and destroyed. The small boy survived and he returned years later, as a young man, to the street where he once lived. During his visit, the young man discovered a stray and scared dog, hiding near a car and the young man does everything he can to make the dog come to him. The narrator mentions the dog because the dog represents the small boy, shortly after his whole life was changed after his home was destroyed. Just like the dog had no place to go and no one to take care of him, the young boy remained alone and had to learn how to survive on his own. Because of this, the dog is an important element in the poem, because he is used as a correspondent to suggest the harsh life the boy had.

What is the "shrimp’’ mentioned in the poem entitled "Crazy about her shrimp’’?

The poem "Crazy about her shrimp’’ is a short poem in which the narrator presents the story of two lovers. The man and the woman make love and then go into the kitchen where they eat shrimps. The narrator describes the cooking experience in very sexual terms and makes it seem as if the two are having sexual intercourse once more. After the woman finishes cooking, the two sit in bed and eat and the narrator claims he is crazy about her shrimp. The extremely sexual nature of the poem and the erotic images conjured in the poem makes it seem as if the shrimp is not necessarily a food item but rather something else. Especially when taking the context into consideration, we can reach the conclusion that the shrimp is actually a word used to make reference to the sexual relationship the two had and possibly to make reference to the sexual female organs of the female in the poem.

Why is truth described as being "bald and cold’’ in the poem "The White Room’’?

Truth is personified in the poem mentioned above and presented as a woman who is bald and cold and a woman who never leaves her room. Truth is presents as being ruthless and similar to death in some instances. The reason why the narrator refers to truth as being bald and cold is to transmit the idea that truth is inaccessible and something no one really wants. Just as normal men would avoid becoming involved with a woman who lacks the qualities of a normal woman and behave in a distant manner, most people would rather not find the truth since it is something uncomfortable for them.