The themes of "Death Sentences" are explored throughout Lazic's collection. Read the rest of A Wake for the Living, and discuss how the other poems relate to the opener. How does a further knowledge of Lazic's work affect your view of the poem? Choose one or two of the poems that you feel bear an important relationship to "Death Sentences," and then compare and contrast them, discussing how themes such as feminism, sexuality, death, and love are treated similarly and/or differently.

Research and write an essay discussing the history of Serbia since 1990, including Lazic's role in the civil resistance movement and her work as an activist. How do you think the country's conflicts have affected her poetry? Describe any traces of the Serbian political climate that you notice in "Death Sentences" or other poems from A Wake for the Living.

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