Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why do you think the speaker compares her mother tongue to a blossoming plant?
- Is this poem arguing against learning a foreign language? How can you tell? Would the speaker be able to appreciate her mother tongue if she hadn't learned any other languages?
- Given that the speaker's mother tongue blossoms during a dream, do you see the poem as hopeful or sad? Why do you think so?
- What does this poem's second stanza do for your understanding of the speaker's experience with a foreign language?