Remember

Question 1

Thoughts and feelings

Answer 1

The poet reflects on love and loss, asking to be remembered after her death but eventually prioritizes the loved one’s happiness over her memory. This reveals both vulnerability and selflessness.

Question 2

Purpose

Answer 2

To provide comfort in the face of mortality, offering a way to accept death without prolonged grief.

Question 3

Structure

Answer 3

A Petrarchan sonnet with two parts: the octet focuses on the plea for remembrance, while the sestet shifts to a more selfless perspective.

The volta (turn) at the ninth line emphasizes this shift.

Question 4

Language

Answer 4

Gentle imperatives (“Remember me”) convey a sense of longing and love.

Euphemisms for death (“gone far away into the silent land”) soften the tone.

The shift in the sestet introduces selflessness: “Better by far you should forget and smile.”

Question 5

Tone and mod

Answer 5

Tender, melancholic, and reflective, with a sense of peace and acceptance toward the end.