Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How would you describe the speaker's tone and mood in the first stanza? How does he sound when he confesses that he's been "eating poetry"?
- Why does Strand use so many periods in his poem? And why is each line so short and precise?
- What does the librarian appear to symbolize in "Eating Poetry"? Why is she an important part of the poem's central themes?
- What's with those burning dogs? Why do they come up the stairs after the "poems are gone"?
- How does Strand portray joy and darkness in "Eating Poetry"? Are these two opposite experiences isolated all by themselves or do they mingle with one another? Why do you think so?