What are the differences in themes between Walt Whitman’s and Emily Dickinson’s poetry?

August 20, 2018 Educator

THE GLASS CASTLE

What is the most vivid of Jeannette’s early memories in The Glass Castle?

One of the first memories that Jeannette Walls remembers in The Glass Castle is when she is about three and is cooking a hot dog on the stove. Her dress catches on fire, and she is badly burned….

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THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

What are some metaphors in The Secret Life of Bees?

I am assuming you want to know about some of the metaphors used in The Secret Life of Bees. A metaphor is a way of explaining something in terms of something else, so if I say “Her smile was…

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ENDER’S GAME

What are the dystopian elements in the book Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card?

First of all, keep in mind what dystopian means. In literature, a dystopian society is the opposite of a utopian (perfect or ideal) society. And, it is more than just a science fictional place. It…

3 educator answers

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

What descriptive language from the story “The Masque of the Red Death” shows the party-goers’…

As the last chimes of the clock striking midnight sound, the revelers become aware of the presence of this figure, and as the word spreads, “there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or…

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THE SCARLET LETTER

How are Melinda Sordino from Speak and Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter similar? How do they…

Melinda Sordino and Hester Prynne are both outcasts throughout their respective novels. Melinda is rejected by her peers because she called the cops on a party over the summer, and Hester is…

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ANIMAL FARM

In Animal Farm, what are some instances where the animals do not ask questions and it causes them…

From the beginning, the animals were too trusting of the pigs. The pigs were underhanded and when they were about to get caught or got caught, they were able to use their rhetoric to make…

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THE MONKEY’S PAW

In the story “Monkey’s Paw,” what is the type of mood established in the beginning of the story?

The type of mood that is establish at the beginning of the story is dark, foreboding, and fearful. The small details of the story establish the mood. According to the first paragraph it is dark,…

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THE WEDNESDAY WARS

Why was Mrs. Baker so upset when Holling told her, “It’s not like it’s your picture in the halls,…

Holling said that line during the month of January. He had just finished playing Ariel in a live Shakespeare production. Unfortunately for Holling, his costume was incredibly embarrassing to wear….

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THE SCARLET IBIS

What are some similes in “The Scarlet Ibis”?

There are many of figures of speech like similes and metaphors in “The Scarlet Ibis.” Here is a list of some of them. I’ve bolded the similes, but have also included metaphors used by Hurst in…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

How does Harper Lee show that Tom Robinson’s treatment was cruel and unfair?

There are actually too many ways in which Harper Lee shows the unjust treatment of Tom Robinson. So, I will name only three of them. First, Lee portrays Tom in the most positive light. According…

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THE SCARLET IBIS

Doodle’s given name is William Armstrong. How does the narrator feel about that name?

Brother (the narrator) says that naming Doodle “William Armstrong” is like “tying a big tail on a small kite.” A small kite will not be able to support a large tail. Likewise, Brother doesn’t think…

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UNDER THE FEET OF JESUS

What are two aspects of “Under the Feet of Jesus” that reflect and influence Estrella and her…

Estrella’s parents were migrant workers, which attested to the economic situation that forced the family to travel in the first place. The family was likely motivated by poor living conditions…

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PETER PAN

In Peter Pan, chapters three and four, where is Neverland and how do the children get there?

Neverland, we learn, is far, far away, though where exactly it is is never specified. Peter says it is “second to the right, and straight on till morning,” but we’re told he’ll say whatever pops…

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ROMEO AND JULIET

What adjectives describe Romeo in Act II, scene ii of Romeo and Juliet?

In Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is awestruck. When he first sees Juliet on her balcony and hears her speak, he compares her to an angel. He is also somewhat incredulous as a result of…

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THE CRUCIBLE

What are Betty Parris’ symptoms?

The text does not tell too many specifics about Betty Parris’s “illness” and her symptoms. What is definitely told to the audience is that Betty has not moved herself since midnight. Even…

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ROMEO AND JULIET

What is the meaning of the oxymorons “beautiful tyrant, a damned saint, an Honorable villain”…

Juliet means that she loves Romeo, but he is frustrating her. Juliet loves Romeo with all of her heart, but you can love someone and still be frustrated with him. When Juliet finds out that Romeo…

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THE GIVER

What are Jonas’s beliefs about Elsewhere?

Jonas believes that Elsewhere is a place that is not predictable; it is not a place where conformity and sameness and euphemistic speech are revered. Elsewhere has no patterns, no medians. It has…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

What are some quotes from To Kill A Mockingbird that best describe Scout Finch?

Since Scout is narrating the book, every sentence could potentially describe her. So, let me proceed by giving three adjectives that describe Scout with a quote to back it up. Scout is: precocious,…

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TO THE VIRGINS, TO MAKE MUCH OF TIME

In “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,” what is meant by the line, “And this same flower that…

In the first stanza, the speaker says, “Gather ye rose-buds while ye may, / Old Time is still a-flying; / And this same flower that smiles today / Tomorrow will be dying” (lines 1-4). The…

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TUCK EVERLASTING

Who are the major characters in Tuck Everlasting?

Considering that the book is titled Tuck Everlasting it is a bit goofy that the main character is a girl named Winnie Foster. Winnie is a young girl that is unhappy with her family. They are…

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MACBETH

What is the setting and context of the following quote? “But ’tis strange and oftentimes, to win…

When Macbeth and Banquo travel home from battle they pass through the forest and travel across a patch of barren land. As they pass through this patch of land, they are approached by the three…

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GATHERING BLUE

In Gathering Blue, when Kira first comes to Annabella’s, what is Annabella doing?

In chapter 8, Kira, accompanied by Matt, goes to the forest to Annabella’s cott to learn about dyeing. Matt runs ahead, then comes back and reports to Kira, “There’s the crone outside in the…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Why does Arthur only come out of his house at the end of the book?

The assumption of this question is not completely correct. Arthur does come before the end of the book on several occasions. From my count, he came out at least three times. First, we see him come…

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WHIRLIGIG

What are six quotes from Whirligig by Paul Fleischman that show Brent’s immaturity?

Brent fortunately gains maturity throughout the course of Whirligig. He is, after all, only a junior in high school. And his penance for the accident causes him to grow up and to develop his own…

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THE BIRDS

What is the theme of “The Birds”?

There are a number of themes in Du Maurier’s story, “The Birds.” Fear is, perhaps, the most obvious and is shown most clearly through the character of Nat’s wife, Mrs Hocken, who looks “terrified”…

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Using quotes, compare Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

This is a great question. From one perspective, these characters come from two different worlds. Tom Robinson is a black man who is unjustly accused of a crime that he did not commit. Boo Radley…

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THE LEAP

What are three ways the narrator says she owes her existence to her mother?

“The Leap” by Louise Erdrich is organized around the three ways in which the narrator owes her existence to her mother’s choices and acts. All of these three choices involves “leaps”, two physical…

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LORD OF THE FLIES

In the book The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is there evidence as to what happened to…

In chapter two of The Lord of the Flies, the boys decide that they need to get organized to build a fire on top of the mountain to act as a signal. They hope that the smoke from the fire might be…

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HARRISON BERGERON

What is a summary of the conflict in “Harrison Bergeron”?

The main conflict in “Harrison Bergeron” is between the citizens of the dystopian society and the government that has imposed handicaps on people to make them “equal.” The government of…

2 educator answers

SOCIAL SCIENCES

What are both the east and west coasts of Canada and the United States edged with: mountains or…

The best answer to this question is that both of these coasts are edged with mountains. The mountains are not necessarily right up next to the coast, but on both coasts, there are mountain ranges…

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THE KITE RUNNER

How does Baba’s treatment of Hassan fuel Amir’s inner conflict? Specifically, how does Amir view…

While Amir has always assumed Baba’s habitual generosity would present itself on every birthday the boys celebrated, he finds himself oddly unsettled at the sort of present Hassan receives one…

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THINGS FALL APART

Contrast Okonkwo’s treatment of his son Nwoye with the treatment of his daughter Ezinma in Things…

Okonkwo worries that from an early age Nwoye seems to be more like Okonkwo’s father than himself. So he worries about him being weak and womanly and not interested in working hard and becoming a…

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HAMLET

What are some examples in Hamlet where Hamlet acted strange or mad?

We first hear of Hamlet’s behaving strangely through the words of Ophelia to her father in Act II Scene 1. She says that while she was sewing in her room, Hamlet appeared before her with his jacket…

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THE OUTSIDERS

What do we find out happened to Johnny?

When Ponyboy and Cherry go to the concession stand at the movies, Ponyboy tells the story of what happened to Johnny. He and Steve and Soda were walking through a vacant lot when they saw…

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THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

In The Comedy of Errors, what was the confusion over the gold chain?

The golden chain serves as a major source of confusion throughout the play. Antipholus of Ephesus commissions a golden chain to be made by Angelo, a goldsmith. He instructs Angelo to meet him at…

2 educator answers

THE SUMMER OF THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE

How did Aram define stealing when he had to decide whether or not to ride the horse?

In William Saroyan’s short story, “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse,” Aram, the nine-year-old narrator of the story, is torn when his cousin Mourad shows up on a white horse Aram knows…

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EVERYDAY USE

In “Everyday Use,” what does Dee’s desire for nice things and her confidence in overcoming…

The answer to this is two-fold depending on which part of the story is used as the reference point. In the earlier part of the story, readers learn that Dee desires “nice things,” and she leaves…

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FAHRENHEIT 451

What does Montag say his house reminds him of?

Montag’s house is not described in great detail throughout the novel. We can assume that it is technologically advanced because to enter the house, Montag has to be identified by a “glove hole” at…

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AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE

How did Peyton Farquhar die in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge?”

The storyteller intentionally creates the illusion that Peyton Farquhar escapes being hanged at Owl Creek Bridge because the rope snaps and he is falling towards the rushing waters of Owl Creek. In…

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GULLIVER’S TRAVELS

Descibe the early life of Gulliver.

Gulliver’s early life was, in large part, a total failure. He studied with a respected surgeon in London and got married, but then his first medical practice failed two years after his partner…

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IN JUST-

Why are almost all the words in “in just-” lower case?

e.e. cummings famously experimented with form in all of his poems, and so it’s no surprise that he came up with some truly wild verses (look at the man’s name, for example; only the truly avant…

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LITERATURE

In The Giver by Lois Lowry, name four character traits revealed about Jonas in chapters 1-5.

Chapter One: Jonas is concerned about the assignment his friend, Asher, will receive at the Ceremony of Twelve. Based on this information, he seems genuinely concerned for his friend and so we…

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PAPER TOWNS

What is the setting of Paper Towns?

The story is set mainly in modern-day Orlando, Florida, though Quentin does travel outside of that area. This setting is crucial to the story. Consider the first section of the book, when Margo…

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THE CANTERVILLE GHOST

How did the ghost treat the earlier residents of Canterville Chase?

Since his death in 1584, the ghost has terrorised countless residents of Canterville Chase and he is fiercely proud of his long and varied career. Encountering the Canterville ghost has so…

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SCIENCE

Why is baking soda a compound?

Baking soda is a compound because it’s composed of molecues that are all identical. It has the chemical formula [Math Processing Error]NaHCO3and the chemical name sodium hydrogen carbonate. (It was called sodium…

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THE WANDERER

What are three things from the past that the speaker in the “The Wanderer” misses the most?

The speaker in the Anglo-Saxon poem “The Wanderer” laments those things that he has lost in his life. He specifically focuses on the loss of his ring-giver, his companions, and his kinsmen, as…

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A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Please comment on the theme presented with this passage from A Tale of Two Cities: “Eighteen…

These lines are the final ones of Chapter III of Book the First in A Tale of Two Cities. Spoken by Mr. Lorry after being brought a message as he rides the Dover coach to the border, they introduce…

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HISTORY

What contributed to the lack of unity during the Han Dynasty?

During the Han dynasty (206 BC-221 CE), art, technology, education, and trade flourished in China. In fact, the Chinese still refer to themselves at times as “Han.” However, towards the end of the…