Essay Questions

What are the psychological inferences in the line: “I’m stone. I’m flesh”?

The two statuses (stone and flesh) are mutually exclusive. The speaker cannot be stone and flesh concomitantly. The inclusion of these two mutually exclusive statuses in the same line depicts the speaker’s quandary in overcoming the trauma associated with the Vietnam war. The status of the stone makes reference to speaker’s attempts to repress all the Vietnam War memories; however, the status of the flesh makes the trauma irrepressible.

What are the postmodern themes in “The Devil’s Workshop”?

The first postmodern theme, which is in the first stanza of the poem in that of climate change which is attributed to the greenhouse effect. The topic of climate change also is evident in the third stanza whereby ‘earthquakes and floods’ , which are attributed to climate change, are mentioned. Another postmodern theme, which is the third stanza, pertains the role that technology plays in suicides. According to the third stanza ,a computer Virus can be used to trigger suicides. The third stanza encapsulates the correlation between technology and the suicide cases in the postmodern era.

What is the effect of citing Alice in Wonderland in the third stanza of the poem “English”

The citation of Alice in Wonderland is intertextuality. The reader perceives the poem’s implied meaning by relating it to the happenings in Alice in Wonderland. The speaker’s illusions about a ‘girl’ in “English” are analogous to the illusions that Alice had while in Wonderland. Citing Charle Lutwidge Dodgson’s Alice in Wonderland in the poem, is evidence that the Alice in Wonderland actuates poem’s structure and thematic concerns .

How can a psychoanalytic decoding of “Pride” simplify the reader’s comprehension of the functioning of the Ego.

Each of the four stanzas, in “Pride” spells out a peculiarity of the Ego. First, looking at the poem from a psychoanalytic angle, confirms that the Ego is inclined towards superficiality. Furthermore, the Ego fuels self-centered behaviors and decisions. Third, the Ego can proselytizes emotional detachment. Fourth, the Ego boosts self-absorption. The convergence of the above attributes results in pride (which bolsters the pertinence of the poem’s title).