1a. To whom is this poem addressed?
2a. For what two things does the speaker ask?
3a. What did humankind lose, and for what was humankind punished?
4a. Analyze the similarities between stanza 1 and stanza 2.
5a. Evaluate whether the poem is a prayer.
1b. What tone does the speaker use in his address?
2b. What emotions do you think the speaker would feel if his pleas were granted?
3b. What indications does the speaker give that he feels afflicted himself? Why does the speaker want divine help?
4b. Why is this poem called "Easter Wings"?
5b. Compare Herbert's view of affliction with that expressed by Donne in Meditation 17.
Paradox. What is the main paradox of "Easter Wings"?
Concrete Poem and Theme. What does the shape of the poem reveal about its theme?
Speaker. Review the chart you made in Literary Tools. How does the speaker portray himself to God? What emotions does the speaker express in the poem?
1. Write a prayer that paraphrases the meaning of "Easter Wings."
2. Write a character sketch of the speaker based on what you know about him from the poem.
3. Write a concrete poem that suggests its subject matter. You may chose to imitate the shape of Herbert's poem to express your own thoughts on flight.
Using Proper Syntax. Rephrase the poets' lines below in order to express the ideas using normal syntax.
1. My tender age in sorrow did begin. (George Herbert)
2. Whose woods these are I think I know. (Robert Frost)
3. Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight. (Christopher Marlowe)
4. Macduff was from his mother's womb / Untimely ripp'd. (William Shakespeare)
5. Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard. (Geoffrey Chaucer)
Identifying False Arguments and Propaganda. Read the Language Arts Survey 5.3, "Avoiding False Arguments and Propaganda." Then identify the type of false argument or propaganda in each sentence below.
1. If you join our religion, you will go straight to heaven.
2. Every Muslim knows the Koran from cover to cover.
3. Judaism is an insignificant religion because nobody in this town practices that religion.
4. My religion is the true one because my pastor tells us that all other religions are false.
5. People who practice that religion are dangerous, terrorist fanatics.
