Essay Questions

In “Grief,” the narrator recounts a memory he had a fellow sailor who lost his wife and expressed his grief by leaving a place for her at the dining table and calling out her name. Though the narrator once felt embarrassed by him, he now understands. What prompts this new understanding?

Though it is never explicitly stated in the poem why the narrator suddenly empathizes with his grieving sailor friend, it can be assumed that he has experienced his own sorrowful and/or grief-filled experience recently. The narrator gazes at a passing boat, making its way across the choppy seas with a single light on. It is possible that watching this lonely boat, attempting to navigate the cold and choppy waters by itself on that cold morning, struck a chord with the narrator. It could be that the sight of the lonely boat suddenly instilled in the narrator a great understanding of what it means to grief. The boat may perhaps represent the narrator, himself, and his loneliness, which would them help him to relate to the sailor who lost his wife. In short, it is impossible to say precisely what caused the narrator’s change of heart. However, using the poem’s context clues, it can be surmised that the narrator either had a sudden change of heart by watching the singular boat, or had experienced a tragedy recently.

In Carver’s poem, “Hummingbird,” is it necessary as the reader to understand the meaning of the word “hummingbird,” which the narrator sends in his letter addressed to his beloved?

Though we never learn the explicit significance of “hummingbird,” an understanding of this significance is not necessary to understand the sentiment of the poem and the story. Rather, the author uses this opportunity to show how single words can hold incredible meaning. Author Raymond Carver does not want the reader to focus on the explicit meaning behind the word “hummingbird,” but rather wants the reader to recall a specific word or idea that will forever be tied to a fond, shared memory. He uses this simple word to remind readers how it feels to share a connection with another individual that can be encapsulated in a seemingly simple word. In this way, it is not necessary to know the meaning behind this simple word. Rather, the poem’s primary themes and purposes are very clear due to context clues and reader-based connections.

In the concluding stanza of “Happiness,” Raymond Carver concludes that happiness is a concept that goes beyond any early morning conversation or contemplation. What does he mean by this?

Carver’s “Happiness” poem aims to capture and juxtapose the dual simplicity and complexity of happiness. The poem shows how happiness can be found in the simplest of items or events. And yet, happiness itself is a vastly complex and complicated emotion—one that has many shades and gradients. Carver uses this poem to show how happiness—even the “simple” kind—can be so powerful and overwhelming that it allows us to forget, just for a moment, our darkest memories and experiences. But, as he also points out, happiness is immensely complicated and does not manifest itself in the same way twice, nor does it mean the same to everyone. In this way, Carver makes the point that to contemplate happiness would take a great deal of time and mental energy and is therefore not suitable for simple morning ponderings. Rather, at this time, happiness must simply be treasured and appreciated, but not contemplated too deeply.