Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How does the ballad form affect how you respond to the poem? If "Casey…" were written in free verse, do you think you would respond differently? Why?
- Casey strikes out. He fails. The Mudville fans' hopes are crushed. Mudville itself, judging by the name, seems like a pretty hopeless place. Even the Mudville fans seem pretty awful. Why do you think a poem about failure and dashed hopes has stayed popular for over 125 years?
- The first time you read "Casey…" did you think he was going to get a hit and win the game? Why or why not? What made you feel optimistic or pessimistic about Casey's chances?
- Imagine Thayer wrote a Part II to "Casey…" and the poem focused on Casey and Mudville the day after the big loss. Would it still be a ballad? Would the poem be long or short? Would it be a tale of forgiveness and redemption, or misery and despair? Why?
- Thayer chose baseball to explore ideas of hope and despair, success and failure. Was baseball the best choice? Why or why not?
- If you think making this a baseball poem wasn't the right move, what sport would have been a better choice? Why?