1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1) I Shot an Arrow…
1. Why did the speaker lose sight of his arrow and song? The arrow flies too swiftly and too far away to be seen by the speaker; whereas the song is naturally invisible.
2. In what circumstances did he find them again? He finds them unexpectedly years later from the trunk of a tree and the heart of a friend.
3. What do arrow and song stand for in this poem? The images of arrow and song here may stand for friendship.
(2) A Psalm of Life
1. What kind of person is the speaker of this poem? The speaker is a man of action, always optimistic and cheerful, trying to achieve as much as possible in the short span of life.
2. According to the poem, how should our lives be led to overcome the fact that each day brings us nearer to death? We should work harder and live happier.
3. Interpret the metaphor of \time\
The metaphor refers to human deeds in real life.
2. Walt Whitman (1)One's Self I Sing
1. What is the significance of singing about one's self? It is an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typical of American people.
2. What is the difference between physiology and physiognomy?
Physiology is a science that deals with the functions and life process of human beings, whereas physiognomy refers to an art of judging character from contours of face itself or the appearance of a person.
3. What does Whitman mean by the term of \ He means that a man should be free from any prejudice and pride, totally different from the traditional one, that is full of bias.
(3) O Captain! My Captain!
1. Why is the word \poem?
In this poem the word “Captain” specially refers to Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States. 2. What overall metaphor does the poet employ in this poem? Life is a journey.
3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sad?
They welcome the ship returning from its hard trip, whereas the speaker is sad because the captain fails to receive his own honor.
3.Emily Dickinson (1) To Make a Prairie …
1. What things are needed to \sense can one really do it?
Some grass and insects and small animals. People can make a prairie with their imagination.
2. How can \The prairie stays in one's mind.
(2) Success Is Counted Sweetest
1. Why is success \succeed\
Those who have tasted the bitterness of failure would have a keener desire for success. 2. Who are \
The so-called successful people in the world. 3. Who is \ Anyone who is pursuing his success.
(3) I'm Nobody!
1. Who are the \\of us\refers to the speaker in the poem and the reader, and \refers to the public, especially those in power. 2. What does \ It Implies the vain and empty common people, who are always admiring and pursuing the celebrities. 3. What is the theme of this poem?
The real admirable life is a secluded and common one. 4. Do you want to be \reasons.
Different persons would have different answers to this question. Personally, I prefer to be nobody. Unit 8 Mark Twain
1: Why do you think Mr.Wheeler is so eager to tell these stories?
From Mr.Wheeler’s behaviors and contents of his narration we can know he is so eager to tell these stories.First, when \“ backed me into a corner and blockaded me with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the narrative”. And during the process of telling his stories, he never paid any attention to others'response to his story and just went on telling what amused him. At last when the listener felt boring and wanted to leave, Mr.Wheeler even didn't notice it and still asked him to sit there listening to him. 2: Does his audience share his enthusiasm in telling the stories? No. the audience does not show any interest in Mr.Wheeler’ stories. In fact, the narrator was very feverish about his stories, but ,in the eyes of the listener,the stories were very boring and had nothing to
陶洁版美国文学选读_第三版_课后习题答案解析
