Use the poem "Recuerdo" by Edna St. Vincent Millay to complete the activity

Question

(1) We were very tired, we were very merry- We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable- But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table, We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon, And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.

(2) We were very tired, we were very merry- We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry, And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear, From a dozen of each we had bought somewhere, And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold, And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold

(3) We were very tired, we were very merry, We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry We hailed, "Good morrow, motherf" to a shawl-covered head, And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read, And she wept, "God bless you!" for the apples and pears, And we gave her all our money but our subway fares

In one to two sentences, explain how the repeated lines contribute to the overall meaning of the poem.

Answer 1

The repeated lines "We were very tired, we were very merry— / We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry" emphasize the cyclical and enduring nature of the experience shared by the speaker and their companion, highlighting the blend of exhaustion and joy that defines their nighttime adventure. This repetition reinforces the theme of fleeting yet memorable moments and the connection between the two individuals amidst the routine of the ferry rides.

Answer 2

Use the excerpt from Peter Pan to answer the question.

Mrs. Darling came to the window, for at present she was keeping a sharp eye on Wendy. She told Peter that she had adopted all the other boys, and would like to adopt him also

"Would you send me to school?" he inquired craftily.

"Yes"

"And then to an office?"

1 suppose so

"Soon I would be a man?"

"I don't want to go to school and learn solemn things," he told her passionately. "I don't want to be a man. O Wendy's mother, if I was to wake up and feel there was a beard!"

"Very soon"

"Peter." said Wendy the comforter, "I should love you in a beard," and Mrs. Darling stretched out her arms to him, but he repulsed her. "Keep back, lady, no one is going to catch me and make me a man."

"But where are you going to live?"

"With Tink in the house we built for Wendy. The fairies are to put it high up among the treetops where they sleep at nights."

"How lovely," cried Wendy so longingly that Mrs. Darling tightened her grip.

thought all the fairies were dead." Mrs. Darling said.

There are always a lot of young ones," explained Wendy, who was now quite

an authority, "because you see when a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born, and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies. They live in nests on the tops of trees, and the mauve ones are boys and the white ones are girls. and the blue ones are just little sillies who are not sure what they are" 1 shall have such fun," said Peter, with one eye on Wendy

will be rather lonely in the evening," she said, "sitting by the fire"

1 shall have Tink"

In one to two sentences, determine how Wendy's point of view changes as the dialogue continues

Answer 3

Wendy's point of view shifts from a longing to join Peter in his carefree, adventurous life among the fairies to a realization of the comforts and connections of her family life, marked by Mrs. Darling's protective grip tightening as Wendy expresses her yearning. This tension illustrates Wendy's internal conflict between her desire for adventure and her growing awareness of the value of home and family.

Answer 4

Use the excerpt from the poem Late September" by Amy Lowell to answer the question.

Warmth of earth, and cloudless wind

Tearing off the husky rind,

Blowing feathered seeds to fall

By the sun-baked, sheltering wall.

In three to five sentences, explain how the poet uses figurative language to express meaning in this stanza

Answer 5

In the stanza, Amy Lowell uses personification and vivid imagery to convey the transition and activity of nature in late September. The "warmth of earth" anthropomorphizes the ground, suggesting a nurturing, almost maternal quality. The "cloudless wind / Tearing off the husky rind" uses personification again to illustrate the wind's force and its role in the natural process of change and harvest. Additionally, "blowing feathered seeds to fall / By the sun-baked, sheltering wall" employs imagery to evoke a sense of movement and protection, illustrating the seeds’ journey to a place of safety and growth. These figurative elements together paint a dynamic picture of nature's cycle and the preparation for new beginnings.