Cozy Apologia

Question 1

Overview of the poem

Answer 1

“Cozy Apologia” is a poem by Rita Dove, the former Poet Laureate of the United States. First published in 2004, the poem meditates on the difference between romance and reality. Although the speaker’s relationship doesn’t live up to the ideals of teenage crushes and romance novels, the speaker defends her relationship. Indeed, as it’s title makes clear, the purpose of the poem is to defend the ordinary, the everyday, the “cozy”—it is an “apologia” or poem of defense. The rewards of such mundane pleasures, the speaker argues, are deeper and richer than anything romantic fantasy can offer.

Question 2

Meaning of the title “cozy apologia”

Answer 2

“Cozy” - comfort and at ease
“Apologia” - formal defence

Suggests she is defending her everyday ordinary love she shares with her husband.

Question 3

First line of the poem

Answer 3

“I could pick anything and think of you”

Question 4

Last line of the poem

Answer 4

“I fill this stolen time with you.”

Question 5

Who wrote the poem

Answer 5

Rita Dove

Question 6

What year was it written

Answer 6

2000

Question 7

“I could pick…….”

Answer 7

“I could pick anything and think of you”

Question 8

“Today a hurrican…….”

Answer 8

“Today a hurrican is nudging up the coat./

Oddle male: Big Bad Floyed.,”

Question 9

“I fill…..”

Answer 9

“I fill this stolen time with you.”

Question 10

Who did dove dedicate her poem to

Answer 10

Dedicated the poem to her husband fred.

Question 11

Context about he hurricane

Answer 11

Hurricane floyed was a powerful stoem which hit the east coast of the USA in 1999.

Question 12

How do we know it is an autobiaGriphical poem

Answer 12

The factual/ rea, life context suppots th eidea that this is an autobiagriphical poem

Question 13

Analyse - “i could pick anything and think of you”

First line

Answer 13

“You” direct address,
Adressing her husband fred who she dedicated the poem to.
Creates a sense of intimicy.
“I” shows it is coming directly form her.

Question 14

How may stanzas does the poem contain

Answer 14

3 stanzas (10 lines in each)

Question 15

Analyse - “any hero,any cause or age”
Stanza 1 (line 4)

Answer 15

“Any” her love is limitless and she can always think of ways to describle their love.
Repetition helps support the limitness of their love becuse it can go on and on.
Their love is inescapable.

Question 16

Analyse - “silver sterups” and chainmake glinting”
Stanza 1 (7,9)

Answer 16

Creates imagery of knight in shining armour ready to dpsave the day (ready to save her)

Question 17

Rhyming couplets in stanza 1

Answer 17

Implies a perfect relationship becuse of the rhyming couplets.
Throught the paragrapg love is untainted (seeming perfect), like she is mocking th eway love is seen.

Question 18

Analyse - “post-post modern age”
Stanza 2 (line 11)

Answer 18

Heavy plosicpves sound like she is spitting at us, discusted by how poeple see love. (Perfect)

Question 19

Analyse - “hurricane” and “Big Bad Flyde”
Stanza 2 (line 13 and 14)

Answer 19

“Hurricane” is a metaphor for her past horrible relationships.
The “big bad floyed” is talking about the villian in the relationship.
Hurricane cause caos and are damaging/ cause pain, just like her past relationships.

Question 20

Analyse - “worthless boys”
Stanza 2 (line 16)

Answer 20

“Boys” - mimicking men. The boys woukd omly cause pain due to caotic behavour.
She continues mocking men when saying “sweet with a dark and hallow centre” , mens relationships seem sweet and joyful but there isnt nothing to them. Dull and empty in the end.

Question 21

Analyse - “im perched in mine”
Stanza 3 (line 21)

Answer 21

Nestled away form thr storm, there love is so strong it protects them from harmful things. This is showing how stong their relationship is, she had comfort with him and feels at ease. He comforts her and isnt a man in shining armour showing that what people call ordinary love is just as strong.

Question 22

Analyse - “were content, but fall short of the devine”
Stanza 3 (lone 24)

Answer 22

Abandond all the sterio types and focused on real life.

They may not be heros, but that doesnt matter they are comfortable where they are,.

Question 23

Analyse - “i fill this stolen time with you”

Last line of the poem

Answer 23

Recognising that the weather has changed (implying that all the bad relationships are on the past becuase she has found someone who treats her right and who she loved deaply, having comfort).
Therefore, she has time to reflect on the past and fill all the with negative relationships wiht this good one.
At the end of the poem it craetes a sense of completement, she is arguing that ordinary is enough to make you happy.

Question 24

New rhyme schme in the final stanza

Answer 24

It is not a perfect rhyme but something more natureal like their love. It can have ups and downs

Question 25

Regular stanza line lengths

Answer 25

Reflect the stable ordinary nature of their love

Question 26

Ceasura in stanza 2

Answer 26

Stanza w is interrupupts the rhyme on the poem, reflectong how her exes cause her life change too.
Aslo the rhyming couplets are brocken aster the “hurricane” and “Big Bad Floyed” , showing how the relation ships effected her, in a negative way.