Walk Your Body Down Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

Walk Your Body Down Topics for Further Study

•  J. T. Barbarese mentions in his poem “Walk Your Body Down” “manic children” who, like the babies on the ramp, “go up and down.” This is possibly an allusion to bipolar disorder or manic depressive illness. Find out what this illness is. What are the symptoms? How does it affect children? What are doctors doing to help children with this illness? Present your research findings to your class.

•  Form a panel to discuss Barbarese’s use of race, as in the passage, “middle-aged black guy.” Pose the question: Why does the poet mention that this man is black? If race is important, why is the couple sitting next to the narrator not described in terms of race? Why are the children not identified by race? What do you think is the purpose of mentioning race at all? To prepare for the panel, make a survey of news articles (print, television,...
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