The Alchemy of Day Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Alchemy of Day Topics for Further Study

Hébert is one of many artists who initially believed that renunciation of pleasure was necessary for artistic purposes. Research another artist who has practiced this asceticism and write a short essay arguing how this influence showed in the artist's work.

The author uses many colors in her poem to set a mood. Choose three to five colors and conduct a small survey to discover people's associations with these colors. Record your results on a chart and write a brief summary of your findings.

The poem has a great deal of imagery, including some Christ-related imagery. Choose a symbolic image from a work of visual art and create your own collage to reflect this image.

Research other societies, from any era, that have tried to secede from a greater political body, as Quebec tried to do around the time Hébert wrote the poem. Compare this situation to the...
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