The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. How does Ghiselin present an uncompromising picture of what one has done in the poem, "Rattlesnake"? In Hugo's estimation, what effect does his use of multi-syllabic and single-syllabic words have on the impact of different parts of the poem?

2. What does Hugo say about communication in writing? What happens if language only exists to convey information? What is the role of "the reader" in a poet's mind when he is writing poetry?

3. Describe Hugo's view of a poet's fear of amoral and shallow writing. When does Hugo say...
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