Page 209 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit
P. 209
“Poetry”
by Marianne Moore, pages 88-89
Vocabulary
dilate – grow wider; expand
derivative – unoriginal
insolence – rudeness; arrogance
1. While Moore does not use meter in this poem, she does impose a strict form on it. How is
the form achieved?
2. What, according to the speaker, should ideally be like “imaginary gardens with real toads
in them”? Explain the meaning of this phrase.
“First Fig”
by Edna St. Vincent Millay, page 90
Vocabulary
renascence – rebirth
1. Is the candle of the poem literal or figurative? Why do you think the author begins the
poem with such a common cliché?
2. Describe the voice and tone of the speaker.
3. What is defended in this poem?
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