How do the themes of "A Psalm of Life" and "Auspex" differ?
answer
While "Psalm" argues that the soul continues after death, "Auspex" indicates that time destroys the heart's passions.
question
Read the lines from "A Psalm of Life."
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
The use of the words "stout and brave" suggests that "our hearts" are
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NOT: physically very strong.
NOT: compassionate and loving.
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Which best describes the tone shared by "A Psalm of Life" and "Auspex"?
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Serious
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Which best describes the tone that the first stanza of "A Psalm of Life" sets for the rest of the poem?
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hopeful and determined
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Read the first stanza of "Auspex."
My heart, I cannot still it,
Nest that had song-birds in it;
And when the last shall go,
The dreary days to fill it,
Instead of lark or linnet,
Shall whirl dead leaves and snow.
The speaker compares his heart to an empty nest in order to
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emphasize the fact that his love has left.
question
Read the lines from "Auspex."
Woe's me, I shall be lonely
When I can feel no longer
The impatience of their wings!
Which best describes the effect of the expression "Woe's me"?
answer
It heightens the sense of loss in the poem
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Read the quotation from "A Psalm of Life."
Let the dead past bury its dead!
What is the effect of the repetition of the word "dead" in this line?
answer
It reinforces the idea that one should live in the present, not in the past
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What does each stanza in "Auspex" show?
answer
the different stages of a natural process
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What do the stanzas in "A Psalm of Life" have in common?
answer
They show stages in a thought process.
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How do the authors of "A Psalm of Life" and "Auspex" use different images to illustrate their themes?
answer
"Psalm" contains primarily images of battle and human interactions, while "Auspex" focuses on natural imagery.
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What is the topic of the poem "Auspex"?
answer
the departure of song birds
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What is the theme of the poem "Auspex"?
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Nature is a source of inspiration.
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What is the topic of the poem "A Psalm of Life" ?
answer
the purpose of life
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What is the theme of the poem "A Psalm of Life"?
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Life should be lived to the fullest.
question
Highlight the words in the text that seem to be most important to the poet's theme.
My heart, I cannot still it,
Nest that had song-birds in it;
And when the last shall go,
The dreary days, to fill it,
Instead of lark or linnet,
Shall whirl dead leaves and snow.
answer
heart
song-birds
go
dreary
dead leaves
snow
question
My heart, I cannot still it,
Nest that had song-birds in it;
And when the last shall go,
The dreary days, to fill it,
Instead of lark or linnet,
Shall whirl dead leaves and snow.
Had they been swallows only,
Without the passion stronger
That skyward longs and sings,—
Woe's me, I shall be lonely
When I can feel no longer
The impatience of their wings!
A moment, sweet delusion,
Like birds the brown leaves hover;
But it will not be long
Before their wild confusion
Fall wavering down to cover
The poet and his song.
How does Lowell's word choice support his theme?
answer
Lowell uses words such as "song-birds," "passion," and "impatience" to suggest that life is brief and should be lived passionately.
question
My heart, I cannot still it,
Nest that had song-birds in it;
And when the last shall go,
The dreary days, to fill it,
Instead of lark or linnet,
Shall whirl dead leaves and snow.
Had they been swallows only,
Without the passion stronger
That skyward longs and sings,—
Woe's me, I shall be lonely
When I can feel no longer
The impatience of their wings!
A moment, sweet delusion,
Like birds the brown leaves hover;
But it will not be long
Before their wild confusion
Fall wavering down to cover
The poet and his song.
In "Auspex," what images compete with each other and represent life and death?
answer
The birds, and the dead leaves and snow
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How do the images support Lowell's theme?
answer
Birds stand for lively spring and summer. Dead leaves and snow suggest still fall and winter.
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My heart, I cannot still it,
Nest that had song-birds in it;
And when the last shall go,
The dreary days, to fill it,
Instead of lark or linnet,
Shall whirl dead leaves and snow.
Had they been swallows only,
Without the passion stronger
That skyward longs and sings,—
Woe's me, I shall be lonely
When I can feel no longer
The impatience of their wings!
A moment, sweet delusion,
Like birds the brown leaves hover;
But it will not be long
Before their wild confusion
Fall wavering down to cover
The poet and his song.
How many lines are in each stanza?
answer
6
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Six-line stanzas are called
answer
sestets.
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Which elements of strict formal structure do "Auspex" and "A Psalm of Life" share?
answer
They both have a rhyme scheme.
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In what way are "Auspex" and "A Psalm of Life" different?
answer
"Auspex" has six-line stanzas while "A Psalm of Life" has four-line stanzas.
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What is the main idea of the first stanza of "Auspex"?
answer
Though I cannot slow myself down right now, one day my heart will stop beating so quickly, and I will slow down
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What imagery do "A Psalm of Life" and "Auspex" have in common?
answer
Both poems make reference to the heart.
question
Read the lines from "A Psalm of Life."
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
The imagery in the lines suggests that
answer
great deeds are remembered in history.
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