Warming Her Pearls Lesson Plan

What is the role and work of the poem's speaker? How can you tell?

The first-person speaker is never directly identified in the poem, so students should consider how they're using context clues to learn about her. The reference to her "mistress" and the references to brushing her hair and dusting her shoulders likely indicate that the speaker is a servant of some kind; since the speaker is helping the mistress to dress, it seems likely that she's a woman, and that this wearing of pearls is part of the job of serving her mistress. Students might also note that she speaks of having a bed in the attic, rather than access to multiple rooms, like the "Yellow Room" and the bedroom....