The wind begun to rock the grass

Question 1

This is the second version of a poem that Dickinson wrote in 1864 in which the context arises out of a _____ taking place near afar.

Answer 1

storm

Question 2

What does the first version of the poem suggest?

Answer 2

The first version of the poem suggests that nature was trying to escape and hide from the storm while the replacement of words in this version suggests that the storm is wreaking havoc on surrounding nature.

Question 3

What does line 1 remind us of?

Answer 3

Line 1 reminds us of a cradle being rocked which has connotations of being soothing and gentle but the mood here is menacing as the rocking seems a prelude to the storm reaching its height.

Question 4

What does the ‘begun’ rather than ‘began’ convey?

Answer 4

The use of ‘begun’ rather than ‘began’ conveys a sense of unease in the reader because the incorrect use of tense is disconcerting.

Question 5

This is enhanced by ‘threatening tunes and low’ which is ominous and the ____ of the ‘t’ foregrounds the threatening nature of the storm.

Answer 5

alliteration

Question 6

Why does ‘low’ enables the reader to imagine?

Answer 6

‘low’ enables the reader to imagine the low sounds made by the wind which are more discordant than high notes.

Question 7

What is ‘He flung’ a reference to?

Answer 7

‘He flung’ seems to be a reference to God and his omnipotence. The forceful action suggests the forcefulness of the wind.

Question 8

What does the repetition of ‘menace’ convey the idea of?

Answer 8

The repetition of ‘menace’ conveys the idea of something rebounding – a thunderbolt or a bolt of lightning.

Question 9

Why does Dickinson use the dash throughout her poem?

Answer 9

Dickinson uses the dash a great deal throughout her poem – the dash in lines 2 provides a pause for the reader to consider the sound while the dash in line 4 suggests the time it takes for the ‘menace’ to rebound.

Question 10

What is the tone of stanza 1?

Answer 10

The tone in this stanza is one of both unease and awe at the power of nature.

Question 11

The actions in stanza two are _____ in that the movement of the ‘leaves’ and the ‘dust’ are not caused by the _____ wind but by the objects themselves.

Answer 11

strange

uncontrollable

Question 12

How are the leaves personified?

Answer 12

The leaves are personified as they ‘unhooked themselves from trees -’ which conveys
the initial idea of the first version of the poem which of wanting to hide from the storm.

Question 13

The ___ provides a pause for the trees to ‘unhook themselves’.

Answer 13

dash

Question 14

Why does ‘all abroad’ create visual imagery of?

Answer 14

‘all abroad’ creates the visual imagery of the leaves flying off trees in the strong wind.

Question 15

What does the simile evoke an image of?

Answer 15

The simile evokes an image of a person cupping dust in their hands and then flinging it into the air suggesting the dust taking on a life of its own because of the power of the wind.

Question 16

Comment on the shift in rhythm from stanza one to two?

Answer 16

There is a shift in rhythm from stanza one to two as the first stanza is slower and conveys the threatening mood whereas the rhythm becomes faster in stanza two to
mimic the force of the wind the actions taking place in nature.

Question 17

What is the use of personification in stanza 3?

Answer 17

The use of personification continues with the ‘wagons quickened on the streets’ reinforcing the wagons rushing to safety before the full force of the storm is unleashed.

Question 18

There is a distinct contrast between lines 9 and 10 with the ____ pace of the wagons in contrast to the ___ progress of the thunder.

Answer 18

increased

slow

Question 19

What does the use of oxymoron suggest?

Answer 19

The use of the oxymoron (when two contradictory words appear side by side) in ‘The thunder hurried slow’ suggests that the full force of the storm, that is going to accompany the wind, is imminent. While the movement of the thunder is relentless and unavoidable, the threat is
increased by the slowness of the thunder which is reinforced by the dash in line 10.

Question 20

What figure of speech is the line ‘The lightning showed a yellow beak’?

Answer 20

‘The lightning showed a yellow beak’ is a metaphor that compares the flash of lightning in the sky as being a bird of prey with its yellow beak.

Question 21

What does ‘livid’ convey?

Answer 21

‘livid’ conveys the utter fury of the storm which is about to descend and the reference to ‘claw’ creates a sense of the damage that the force of nature can cause just like a bird of prey on its victim.

Question 22

What idea do line 13 and 14 convey?

Answer 22

Lines 13 and 14 convey the idea of birds and animals sheltering from the storm with the use of ‘fled’ suggesting the speed at which the cattle moved.

Question 23

What does the ‘one drop of giant rain’ signal?

Answer 23

The ‘one drop of giant rain’ signals the unleashing of the storm and the start of the deluge.

Question 24

What effect does the enjambment that in lines 16 and 17 create?

Answer 24

Enjambment occurs in lines 16 and 17 across stanzas which creates the effect of the storm, once it has begun, being unceasing.

Question 25

The use of ‘And then’ creates a shift in the ___.

Answer 25

action

Question 26

What image does the simile ‘as if the hands that held the dams had parted hold’ provide the reader?

Answer 26

The simile ‘as if the hands that held the dams had parted hold’ provides the reader with an image of hands cupped together holding water bursting forth like a dam when the hands are parted. It creates the effect of the force of the storm that has finally broken.

Question 27

What does ‘the waters wrecked the sky’ personify?

Answer 27

The waters wrecked the sky’ personifies the storm and conveys the image of water pouring down torrentially making it difficult to see the sky.

Question 28

What does the alliteration of the ‘w’ enhance?

Answer 28

The alliteration of the ‘w’ is harsh and enhances the notion of everything being wrecked and destroyed by the willful (deliberate) force of the storm.

Question 29

What is the meaning of line 19?

Answer 29

Line 19 contains two possible meanings – either it is literally her father’s house because she never moved away from the town where she was born or else it is a metaphor for the nearby church which is spared the impact of the destructive nature of the storm. This is in juxtaposition to Line 20 where a tree is split into quarters from the power of the lightning.

Question 30

What is the effect of the dash at the end of line 20?

Answer 30

The dash at the end of line 20 provides a pause for readers to contemplate the marvel of the
house/church being spared when nature has been destroyed so violently.

Question 31

What is the speaker’s attitude throughout the poem?

Answer 31

The speaker’s attitude throughout the poem is one of awe and amazement at the power of
nature and the tone can be considered respectful and reverent.

Question 32

If we remember that Dickinson perceived God in nature, then the ____ makes sense because the storm evokes the idea of the immense power of ___.

Answer 32

reverence

God

Question 33

The poem is written in ___ ____ and does not have a rhyme scheme.

Answer 33

free verse

Question 34

What is the effect of the stanzas being 4 lines each?

Answer 34

The stanzas are each 4 lines which creates the effect of the predictability of the structure of the stanzas in contrast to the unpredictability of the storm.

Question 35

Structure in this poem should account for the ____ use of the dash and why it has been used as well as the _____ discussed earlier.

Answer 35

excessive

enjambment

Question 36

What is the rhythm throughout the poem?

Answer 36

The rhythm begins slowly and gains momentum increasing as the poem goes on and the storm gets nearer to breaking.

Question 37

What is the mood throughout the poem?

Answer 37

The mood at the beginning is menacing and threatening but shifts by the end of the poem to one of wonder and amazement.