Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How might the poem's structure reflect its key themes?
- The first time you read stanzas 1, 2, and 3 what did you imagine the force might be? What gave you that impression? Where you surprised that it turned out to be time? Why or why not?
- Thomas packed this poem with life imagery and death imagery. Is Thomas better at writing the life stuff or the death stuff? Which do you find more compelling? Why?
- Thomas personified the force—a.k.a. time—in the poem in lots of different ways. See if you can come up with your own personifications of time. Try a couple positive and a couple negative versions.
- How do you feel about "the force?" Is it positive, negative, or both? Why?