Gwen Harwood: Poems Lesson Plan

Describe the child in “The Glass Jar.” Is he innocent or foolish? What is the significance of the scarf in the poem? What are the monsters that he’s trying to dispel?

Answers will vary about the innocence or foolishness of the child, with some arguing that his fundamental misunderstanding of the world represents a willful rejection of reality and others insisting that his imagination brings meaning to a mundane world. However, the scarf represents a need for protection, whether it be from monsters that he only imagines or actual threats, perhaps in the form of the tensions within his mother.

What is the significance of the humor in “I Am the Captain of My Soul”? How does...