Essay Questions

Why are breakups associated with winter in the poems "Anniversary’’ and "Last Meeting’’?

In the two poems mentioned above, the narrator describes a few breakups through which she went through. The warm feelings of love are associated with warm weather and with the season of spring and summer while break-ups and the pain which comes with it is associated with winter, autumn and of course, cold and rain. The reason why these associations take place in the poem is because the narrator wants to create the idea of pain, suffering, loneliness and emptiness. The natural environment, devoid of any form of vegetation also has the purpose of transmitting the idea of pain and suffering to the reader.

What is the main message transmitted through the poem "Barn Owl’’?

The poem "Barn Owl’’ is a narrative one in which the narrator describes the moment in which she killed an own in the barn of her parents’ house. The narrator sneaked out of the house during the middle of the night and took her father’s gun. Once in the barn, the narrator shot the owl but needed two shots to kill the bird. The event is described as being a traumatic one for the narrator who cried after killing the bird. The shooting of the bird is presented here as being a metaphorical moment, the time when the narrator became a woman and matured. Thus, the image transmitted through this poem is that the process of growing up is often a brutal and hard one.

What is the meaning of the word "triste’’ used in the poem with the title "Triste, triste’’?

The word mentioned above is used here to transmit the idea of sorrow and pain. In the poem, the narrator analyzes the way she felt after the death of someone she loved and used the word from above to explain how she felt. Thus, the word "triste’’ is used in this context to make reference to the extreme pain felt by the narrator.