Essay Questions

What sort of memory does “Sudden Light” suggest?

“Sudden Light” encapsulates a Flash Memory. The title specifies that the light ensues abruptly. This memory is an instantaneous remembrance that transpires in the speaker’s mind. Therefore, the speaker does not coerce the recollection to rematerialize.

What lines validate the idea that the memory is unconscious?

The speaker’s concession hints at the unconsciousness of the memory. The speaker acknowledges, “I have been here before,/ But when or how I cannot tell.” The speaker is oblivious of when the episode, embodied by the ‘sudden light’ arose. Clearly, the speaker has constrained the incidence to the unconscious.