Write a poem about the kind of funeral you would prefer for yourself with as many details as possible and including descriptions of how friends and loved ones may respond to your ceremony.

Why do you think the speaker in Brouwer's poem selects a pyramid for his tomb? What connection might he feel with these ancient structures, and why would he want his own tomb to be so flimsy?

James Randi is an outspoken commentator on fraudulent psychics, magicians, and so forth. Read some of his research and write an essay on whether you agree or disagree with his controversial claims.

Pretend you are one of the onlookers at the speaker's all-night funeral in "Last Request" and that you are keeping a journal of the events. What would your entry include about the other people there, the weather, the pyramid itself, the...