Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why do you think Marianne Moore uses such difficult vocabulary in this poem? Would it have had the same effect had she used plainer language?
- What are some of the specific points Moore is trying to make about the mind? Does she create an overall picture, too?
- What image, simile, and/or metaphor was the most effective for you personally?
- Does this poem remind you of any others you've read in the past? If so, what are the similarities? If not, how is this poem different from what you've read so far (style? subject matter?)?
- There are a few instances in the poem where the language is arranged to seem almost like a riddle. Can you find them? What effect do they have on the poem for you?
- What's the effect of the form of the poem (see "Form and Meter" for more on this)? Why the similarly structured stanzas and rhyme scheme?