Question 1: Describe the imagery used when the speaker recalls her 'bright, filled paperweight' city. What does this metaphor suggest about her perception of her homeland?

Answer: The 'bright, filled paperweight' imagery suggests a vivid and preserved memory of her homeland, symbolizing its beauty and fragility, and how she views it as a precious, protected place.

Question 2: How does Rumens use personification in the line 'my city comes to me in its own time'? What effect does this have on the reader?

Answer: The personification makes the city seem alive and autonomous, emphasizing the speaker's emotional connection and the persistent power of memory over time.

Question 1: Quote explosion: 'There once was a country... / I left it as a child.' Analyze the significance of the contrast between 'country' and 'child' and how this reflects the speaker's emotional state.

Answer: The contrast highlights the innocence of childhood and the loss of homeland, emphasizing the emotional distance and longing. It also suggests innocence lost and the impact of exile on identity.

Question 2: Identify the metaphors used to describe the city and discuss their effect on the reader’s perception of memory and homeland.

Answer: Metaphors like 'bright, filled paperweight' create a vivid, cherished image of homeland, suggesting that memory is preserved and idealized, but also fragile. This deepens the emotional weight of the speaker’s nostalgia.

Question 3: Find and analyze a line that uses imagery to depict conflict or contrast within the poem. How does this imagery influence the reader’s understanding of the poem’s themes?

Answer: The line 'It may be sick with tyrants but I am branded by an impression of sunlight' uses contrast between darkness and light, symbolizing hope and resilience amid oppression. This imagery emphasizes themes of memory and resistance.

Question 1: How does the poem explore the theme of memory? Provide examples of language that support this theme.

Answer: The poem explores memory as persistent and vivid through imagery like 'city comes to me' and metaphors such as 'paperweight,' which suggest cherished yet fragile memories of homeland.

Question 2: Discuss how the poem presents the idea of homeland as both a source of comfort and conflict.

Answer: The homeland is depicted as a beautiful, cherished place ('bright, filled paperweight') but also as a site of conflict ('sick with tyrants'), illustrating its dual role in shaping identity and causing pain.

Question 1: Identify two key language devices in 'Ozymandias' that contrast with those in 'The Emigrée'. How do they reflect different perspectives on power?

Answer: In 'Ozymandias', the use of stark imagery and irony, such as 'King of Kings' and the ruined statue, depict the impermanence of power. In contrast, 'The Emigrée' uses nostalgic imagery to suggest enduring emotional power of memory.

Question 2: Outline points for an essay comparing the way both poems depict the influence of history on personal identity.

Answer: Students should discuss how 'Ozymandias' reflects on the rise and fall of empires, emphasizing the fleeting nature of power, while 'The Emigrée' highlights how personal memory preserves identity despite political upheaval.

Question 1: Plan an analytical paragraph discussing how Rumens' use of metaphor and imagery creates a powerful sense of longing and nostalgia. Include references to specific language choices.

Answer: Students should structure their response around key metaphors like 'paperweight' and imagery of sunlight, explaining how these evoke longing. They should analyze how Rumens’ language choices reinforce the emotional impact of nostalgia and the complex feelings towards homeland.