Questions

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  1. What is the central irony that George P. Morris develops in the second stanza?

    Question

    Questions: - What is the central irony that George P. Morris develops in the second stanza?
  2. How would you describe Morris’s overall tone in this poem?

    Question

    Questions: - How would you describe Morris’s overall tone in this poem?
  3. How do the last four lines of the poem differ from those that precede them? What is their rhetorical effect?

    Question

    Questions: - How do the last four lines of the poem differ from those that precede them? What is their rhetorical effect?
  4. How does the repetition of “breathed a prayer for him” at the end of each stanza influence the meaning of the poem?

    Question

    Questions: - How does the repetition of “breathed a prayer for him” at the end of each stanza influence the meaning of the poem?
  5. What about this poem might account for its great popularity in its time?

    Question

    Questions: - What about this poem might account for its great popularity in its time?
  6. Go online to find the sheet music for this ballad, or listen to a recording. How does reading the music or listening to the song affect your understanding and estimation of the piece?

    Question

    Questions: - Go online to find the sheet music for this ballad, or listen to a recording. How does reading the music or listening to the song affect your understanding and estimation of the piece?