By Robert Frost
1.
What does he see ÒBefore she saw himÓ?
2.
What kind of ÒcreatureÓ does the wife think her husband is?
3.
What are the husbandÕs words Ònearly alwaysÓ to his wife?
4.
What does the wife Òcarry ... to someone elseÓ?
5.
How might the wifeÕs actions have been different if she had seen her
husband watching her?
6.
Why does the wife challenge the husband to tell her what he sees?
7.
With what does the husband ask for his wifeÕs help?
8.
What is the husbandÕs defense against his grief?
9.
What is the husband desperately trying to avoid?
10.
What differences exist in how the husband and wife express their grief
about the death of their infant son?
How has the death of their child ruptured their marriage?
11.
Cite two passages in the poem that struck you. What effect do these lines have on
you? Explain.
The
two characters in this poem have very different ways of responding to grief and
consequently fail to understand on e another. Write a critical analysis contrasting the
ways in which these characters deal with their grief and explaining why they do
not understand one another.