Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why doesn't the speaker himself have an ecstatic moment? Why is it only the bird that gets to see good things ahead?
- Is this a poem about the end of the nineteenth century or the beginning of the twentieth? How does this decision change your reading of the poem?
- Is the speaker a pragmatist or an over-the-top drama queen?
- Does this poem truly seem to be upset about the coming of the new century? Why or why not?