Page 87 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit

“Lucifer in Starlight”
by George Meredith, pages 68-69

Vocabulary
[none]

1. What poetic form does “Lucifer in Starlight” follow?

The poem is a Petrarchan or Italian sonnet.

2. To what does the allusion, “the old revolt from Awe” refer?

The allusion is to the biblical tale of Lucifer’s losing battle with God. Upon his defeat, Lucifer was
cast down from the heavens.

3. In your own words, what causes Lucifer “to sink”?

According to the speaker, when Lucifer flies up close to the stars, which are “the brain of heaven,”
he sees God’s unconquerable army and flees back to his dominion for he knows he cannot beat
them.

4. The description of the stars as the “brain of heaven” is an example of the employment of what
literary device?

The description is a comparison without using like or as, or a metaphor.

5. Who or what makes up the “army of unalterable law”? What is the law?

The army is composed of the un-fallen angels. The unalterable law is the law of God, or divine law.

“I’m Nobody! Who Are You?”
by Emily Dickinson, page 69

Vocabulary
bog – a wet, spongy area of ground, where one is likely to sink, and where frogs live

1. Describe the over-all tone of this poem.

Answers may vary. Example: The tone is both intimate, drawing the reader into a circle with the
speaker, and perhaps also a bit superior by scoffing.

2. What does fame seem to consist of to the speaker?

Fame seems mainly to consist of telling one’s name over and over all “the livelong day.”

3. By comparing the announcement or telling of her name to the calls of a frog, what does the speaker
infer is the value of it?

The comparison of her name to a frog’s call suggests that she views her name with little value,
lowering it to a mere noise or croak rather than something worthy of admiration.

T-69