{"id":361,"date":"2014-06-19T16:32:05","date_gmt":"2014-06-19T16:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/?post_type=chapter&p=361"},"modified":"2019-07-05T17:46:03","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T17:46:03","slug":"study-questions-and-activities-5","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/chapter\/study-questions-and-activities-5\/","title":{"raw":"Study Questions and Activities","rendered":"Study Questions and Activities"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Study Questions and Activities<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n

The Lake Isle of Innisfree<\/h1>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. \u00a0How would you describe the tone, the voice, and the mood of this poem?\u00a0 Is it melancholy, enthusiastic, or some point between?\u00a0How does Yeats achieve this tone?\u00a0How does it complement his theme?<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. What is alliteration (cf. Glossary)?\u00a0Find an example in \u201cLake Isle\u201d and comment on its effect.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Determine the poem\u2019s rhythm (cf. Glossary) and rhyme scheme (cf. Glossary) and assess their effect on theme.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    \u00a0No Second Troy<\/h1>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. How do you interpret the last line of this poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Why is this poem almost, but not quite, a Shakespearean sonnet (cf. Glossary)?<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. What does this poem reveal about Yeats\u2019s attitude to Maud, who was married to another man, when Yeats wrote this poem?\u00a0 Does he love her still? Dislike her? Resent her?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      Easter, 1916<\/h1>\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. The rhythm of this poem is unusual, basically uneven iambic trimetre (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why do you think Yeats used this rhythm for this poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Explain the meaning of the poem\u2019s famous refrain, \u201cA terrible beauty is born.\u201d\u00a0Reveal in your answer the type of figurative language exemplified in the phrase \u201ca terrible beauty.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. \u201cEaster, 1916\u201d presupposes a considerable knowledge of historical and biographical context.\u00a0Does the need for this knowledge add to or take away from the poem\u2019s intensity?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

        The Wild Swans at Coole<\/h1>\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. What do the wild swans at Coole symbolize?\u00a0How does the symbolism inform the theme of the poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. Find two examples of half rhyme (cf. Glossary) in the poem and comment on the effect of the half rhyme on the tone and theme of the poem.<\/li>\r\n \t
        3. Compare and contrast this poem with \u201cThe Lake Isle of Innisfree.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

          The Second Coming<\/h1>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          1. The form of the poem is blank verse (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why do you think Yeats chose this form for this poem?\u00a0Consider, especially, its effect on the tone (cf. Glossary) of the poem.<\/li>\r\n \t
          2. Compare and contrast the theme of this poem with the theme of T.S. Eliot\u2019s \u201cThe Wasteland.\u201d\u00a0Do Yeats and Eliot share similar views on the condition of modern society?<\/li>\r\n \t
          3. How does Yeats\u2019s vision of the Second Coming differ from the vision that\u00a0Christians believe?\u00a0How do you account for the difference?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

            A Prayer for My Daughter<\/h1>\r\n
              \r\n \t
            1. What are the character traits and the outlook on life Yeats hopes his daughter will possess?\u00a0 How does Yeats\u2019s relationship with Maud Gonne influence his hopes?<\/li>\r\n \t
            2. Why is there a \u201cgreat gloom\u201d in Yeats\u2019s mind, as he writes this poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
            3. \u201cA Prayer for My Daughter\u201d is a regular verse poem, mainly iambic pentameter, with an aabbcddc rhyme scheme.\u00a0Note that in lines 6 and 7 of each stanza (after the first) Yeats switches to iambic tetrameter.\u00a0What effect does this switch have on theme of the poem?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

              Leda and the Swan<\/h1>\r\n
                \r\n \t
              1. What are three features of the form and structure of \u201cLeda and the Swan\u201d that identify it as a sonnet (cf. Glossary)?<\/li>\r\n \t
              2. What, in the Christian faith, is the Annunciation, and how and why does Yeats connect the Annunciation to the events he describes in this poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
              3. Express in your own words the meaning of the question with which the sonnet concludes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                \u00a0Sailing to Byzantium<\/h1>\r\n
                  \r\n \t
                1. Note the rhyme scheme (cf. Glossary) of this poem. It is regular, but Yeats makes extensive use of half rhyme (cf. Glossary).\u00a0What is the effect of this use of half rhyme?<\/li>\r\n \t
                2. Review Yeats\u2019s biography and determine why he expresses disappointment in his native Ireland at the beginning of this poem.<\/li>\r\n \t
                3. The desire to transcend death is a common poetic theme.\u00a0How does Yeats render this theme in \u201cSailing to Byzantium\u201d? How does he hope to transcend death?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                  Among School Children<\/h1>\r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  1. In \u201cAmong School Children,\u201d Yeats seeks common ground among apparently disparate, things, people, and ideas: nuns, mothers, and philosophers; Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras; leaf, blossom, and bole; music, dancer, and dance.\u00a0 How does this search for a unity of purpose influence the theme of the poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
                  2. An understanding of this poem presupposes so much reader prior knowledge of the poet\u2019s life and of philosophy and mythology. What are the benefits and the drawbacks this presupposition?<\/li>\r\n \t
                  3. The verse form of the poem is Ottava rima (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why might Yeats have chosen this form for this poem?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                    Byzantium<\/h1>\r\n
                      \r\n \t
                    1. Is \u201cByzantium\u201d a regular verse or a free verse poem (cf. Glossary)?\u00a0Explain your answer.<\/li>\r\n \t
                    2. What is it that Yeats, now reincarnated as a golden bird, witnesses from his perch on the golden bough of the Emperor\u2019s palace? What are his mood and emotions as he witnesses the transformation?<\/li>\r\n \t
                    3. The desire that Yeats expresses in \u201cSailing to Byzantium\u201d and its fulfillment in \u201cByzantium\u201d has been described by some as visionary and by others as eccentric.\u00a0How would you describe the goal, expressed in these poems, Yeats wants to achieve?\u00a0Explain your answer.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                      \u00a0Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop<\/h1>\r\n
                        \r\n \t
                      1. What is satire (cf. Glossary)?\u00a0In what sense is \u201cCrazy Jane\u201d a satiric poem?<\/li>\r\n \t
                      2. The poem is framed as a debate between Jane and a bishop.\u00a0What argument does Jane advance to win the debate?\u00a0Do you support hers or the bishop\u2019s argument?<\/li>\r\n \t
                      3. The poem is a first-person narrative, written in modified ballad stanzas (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why might Yeats have chosen this form for this poem?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                        The Circus Animal's Desertion<\/h1>\r\n
                          \r\n \t
                        1. What fear does Yeats express in this poem?\u00a0How will he overcome this fear?<\/li>\r\n \t
                        2. How might readers know, without referring to Yeats\u2019s biography, that this is one of his\u00a0last poems?<\/li>\r\n \t
                        3. Explain the famous metaphor with which this poem concludes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                          \u00a0Writing Assignments<\/h1>\r\n
                            \r\n \t
                          1. How does Yeats\u2019s unrequited love for Maud Gonne influence his poetry?<\/li>\r\n \t
                          2. How does Irish nationalism and the struggle for Irish independence influence Yeats\u2019s work?<\/li>\r\n \t
                          3. How does Yeats\u2019s life-long quest for spiritual enlightenment influence his work?<\/li>\r\n \t
                          4. Yeats is, among his other various identities as a poet, a satirist.\u00a0 Discuss Yeats\u2019s use of satire in his poetry and his goals as a satirist.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
                            \n
                            \n

                            Study Questions and Activities<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

                            \n

                            The Lake Isle of Innisfree<\/h1>\n
                              \n
                            1. \u00a0How would you describe the tone, the voice, and the mood of this poem?\u00a0 Is it melancholy, enthusiastic, or some point between?\u00a0How does Yeats achieve this tone?\u00a0How does it complement his theme?<\/li>\n
                            2. What is alliteration (cf. Glossary)?\u00a0Find an example in \u201cLake Isle\u201d and comment on its effect.<\/li>\n
                            3. Determine the poem\u2019s rhythm (cf. Glossary) and rhyme scheme (cf. Glossary) and assess their effect on theme.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                              \u00a0No Second Troy<\/h1>\n
                                \n
                              1. How do you interpret the last line of this poem?<\/li>\n
                              2. Why is this poem almost, but not quite, a Shakespearean sonnet (cf. Glossary)?<\/li>\n
                              3. What does this poem reveal about Yeats\u2019s attitude to Maud, who was married to another man, when Yeats wrote this poem?\u00a0 Does he love her still? Dislike her? Resent her?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                Easter, 1916<\/h1>\n
                                  \n
                                1. The rhythm of this poem is unusual, basically uneven iambic trimetre (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why do you think Yeats used this rhythm for this poem?<\/li>\n
                                2. Explain the meaning of the poem\u2019s famous refrain, \u201cA terrible beauty is born.\u201d\u00a0Reveal in your answer the type of figurative language exemplified in the phrase \u201ca terrible beauty.\u201d<\/li>\n
                                3. \u201cEaster, 1916\u201d presupposes a considerable knowledge of historical and biographical context.\u00a0Does the need for this knowledge add to or take away from the poem\u2019s intensity?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                  The Wild Swans at Coole<\/h1>\n
                                    \n
                                  1. What do the wild swans at Coole symbolize?\u00a0How does the symbolism inform the theme of the poem?<\/li>\n
                                  2. Find two examples of half rhyme (cf. Glossary) in the poem and comment on the effect of the half rhyme on the tone and theme of the poem.<\/li>\n
                                  3. Compare and contrast this poem with \u201cThe Lake Isle of Innisfree.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                    The Second Coming<\/h1>\n
                                      \n
                                    1. The form of the poem is blank verse (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why do you think Yeats chose this form for this poem?\u00a0Consider, especially, its effect on the tone (cf. Glossary) of the poem.<\/li>\n
                                    2. Compare and contrast the theme of this poem with the theme of T.S. Eliot\u2019s \u201cThe Wasteland.\u201d\u00a0Do Yeats and Eliot share similar views on the condition of modern society?<\/li>\n
                                    3. How does Yeats\u2019s vision of the Second Coming differ from the vision that\u00a0Christians believe?\u00a0How do you account for the difference?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                      A Prayer for My Daughter<\/h1>\n
                                        \n
                                      1. What are the character traits and the outlook on life Yeats hopes his daughter will possess?\u00a0 How does Yeats\u2019s relationship with Maud Gonne influence his hopes?<\/li>\n
                                      2. Why is there a \u201cgreat gloom\u201d in Yeats\u2019s mind, as he writes this poem?<\/li>\n
                                      3. \u201cA Prayer for My Daughter\u201d is a regular verse poem, mainly iambic pentameter, with an aabbcddc rhyme scheme.\u00a0Note that in lines 6 and 7 of each stanza (after the first) Yeats switches to iambic tetrameter.\u00a0What effect does this switch have on theme of the poem?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                        Leda and the Swan<\/h1>\n
                                          \n
                                        1. What are three features of the form and structure of \u201cLeda and the Swan\u201d that identify it as a sonnet (cf. Glossary)?<\/li>\n
                                        2. What, in the Christian faith, is the Annunciation, and how and why does Yeats connect the Annunciation to the events he describes in this poem?<\/li>\n
                                        3. Express in your own words the meaning of the question with which the sonnet concludes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                          \u00a0Sailing to Byzantium<\/h1>\n
                                            \n
                                          1. Note the rhyme scheme (cf. Glossary) of this poem. It is regular, but Yeats makes extensive use of half rhyme (cf. Glossary).\u00a0What is the effect of this use of half rhyme?<\/li>\n
                                          2. Review Yeats\u2019s biography and determine why he expresses disappointment in his native Ireland at the beginning of this poem.<\/li>\n
                                          3. The desire to transcend death is a common poetic theme.\u00a0How does Yeats render this theme in \u201cSailing to Byzantium\u201d? How does he hope to transcend death?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                            Among School Children<\/h1>\n
                                              \n
                                            1. In \u201cAmong School Children,\u201d Yeats seeks common ground among apparently disparate, things, people, and ideas: nuns, mothers, and philosophers; Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras; leaf, blossom, and bole; music, dancer, and dance.\u00a0 How does this search for a unity of purpose influence the theme of the poem?<\/li>\n
                                            2. An understanding of this poem presupposes so much reader prior knowledge of the poet\u2019s life and of philosophy and mythology. What are the benefits and the drawbacks this presupposition?<\/li>\n
                                            3. The verse form of the poem is Ottava rima (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why might Yeats have chosen this form for this poem?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                              Byzantium<\/h1>\n
                                                \n
                                              1. Is \u201cByzantium\u201d a regular verse or a free verse poem (cf. Glossary)?\u00a0Explain your answer.<\/li>\n
                                              2. What is it that Yeats, now reincarnated as a golden bird, witnesses from his perch on the golden bough of the Emperor\u2019s palace? What are his mood and emotions as he witnesses the transformation?<\/li>\n
                                              3. The desire that Yeats expresses in \u201cSailing to Byzantium\u201d and its fulfillment in \u201cByzantium\u201d has been described by some as visionary and by others as eccentric.\u00a0How would you describe the goal, expressed in these poems, Yeats wants to achieve?\u00a0Explain your answer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                \u00a0Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop<\/h1>\n
                                                  \n
                                                1. What is satire (cf. Glossary)?\u00a0In what sense is \u201cCrazy Jane\u201d a satiric poem?<\/li>\n
                                                2. The poem is framed as a debate between Jane and a bishop.\u00a0What argument does Jane advance to win the debate?\u00a0Do you support hers or the bishop\u2019s argument?<\/li>\n
                                                3. The poem is a first-person narrative, written in modified ballad stanzas (cf. Glossary).\u00a0Why might Yeats have chosen this form for this poem?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                  The Circus Animal’s Desertion<\/h1>\n
                                                    \n
                                                  1. What fear does Yeats express in this poem?\u00a0How will he overcome this fear?<\/li>\n
                                                  2. How might readers know, without referring to Yeats\u2019s biography, that this is one of his\u00a0last poems?<\/li>\n
                                                  3. Explain the famous metaphor with which this poem concludes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                                    \u00a0Writing Assignments<\/h1>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    1. How does Yeats\u2019s unrequited love for Maud Gonne influence his poetry?<\/li>\n
                                                    2. How does Irish nationalism and the struggle for Irish independence influence Yeats\u2019s work?<\/li>\n
                                                    3. How does Yeats\u2019s life-long quest for spiritual enlightenment influence his work?<\/li>\n
                                                    4. Yeats is, among his other various identities as a poet, a satirist.\u00a0 Discuss Yeats\u2019s use of satire in his poetry and his goals as a satirist.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"menu_order":14,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-361","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":324,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2536,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/361\/revisions\/2536"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/324"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/361\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=361"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=361"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/englishliterature\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}