Who Are You, Little I? | Exercise With Summary | Grade 11 | English
0a. Who is the speaker addressing and why can that person not he ar or understand what she is saying?
The speaker is addressing a dead soldier, who cannot hear or understand her because he is no longer alive.
b. What can you infer about the speaker’s feelings for the person addressed as “you”?
The speaker's feelings for the person addressed as "you" are likely to be complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, she may feel grief and sadness over the person's death. On the other hand, she may also feel a sense of connection and love for the person, even though he is no longer physically present.
c. What is the speaker’s attitude toward war?
The speaker's attitude toward war is likely to be negative, given that she is addressing a dead soldier. She may see war as a senseless and destructive force that takes the lives of innocent people.
d. In what ways do you think this person’s fate has affected the speaker?
The person's fate has likely had a profound impact on the speaker. She may feel a sense of loss and grief, as well as a sense of guilt or responsibility for the person's death.
e. What does the speaker promise at the end of the poem? Why do you think the speaker does this?
The speaker promises to "carry" the person's soul with her. This suggests that she will never forget the person or the impact that their death has had on her.
a. What is the theme of the poem?
The theme of the poem is grief and loss. The speaker is grieving the death of a soldier, and she is trying to come to terms with the fact that he is gone.
b. What imagery from the poem made the greatest impression on you? Why?
The imagery of the speaker carrying the soldier's soul with her is particularly striking. This image suggests that the speaker is determined to never forget the soldier or the impact that his death has had on her. The imagery of the speaker's "face in the little window" also creates a strong sense of intimacy between the speaker and the soldier.
c. Which figurative language is used in the poem? Explain with examples.
The poem uses a variety of figurative languages, including metaphors, similes, and personification. For example, the speaker's soul is compared to a "little i," and the soldier's face is compared to a "star." The poem also uses personification to give human qualities to the soldier's soul, which is described as "singing" and "dancing."
d. What does the speaker “offer” in this poem? What does the person addressed as “you” give in return?
The speaker offers to carry the soldier's soul with her. In return, the soldier gives the speaker his love and his memories.
e. An apostrophe is a literary device in which a writer or speaker addresses an absent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and can understand. Discuss the poem in relation to apostrophe.
The poem is an apostrophe to the soldier. The speaker is addressing the soldier directly, even though he is dead and cannot hear her. This suggests that the speaker is still grieving the soldier's death and is trying to come to terms with his absence.
a. One way to get relief from grief is to write or talk about it. In your opinion, how might the speaker in this poem have benefitted from saying what she did? Explain.
The speaker in this poem may have benefitted from saying what she did because it allowed her to express her grief and to come to terms with the soldier's death. Writing or talking about grief can be a helpful way to process the emotions that come with it.
b. Write an essay on the effects of war.
This essay could discuss the negative effects of war, such as the death and destruction that it causes, as well as its long-term effects on individuals and societies. It could also discuss the positive effects of war, such as the way that it can bring people together and foster a sense of patriotism.