Making Meanings
Beware: Do Not Read This Poem / The Secret
First Thoughts
1. Suppose you could ask Reed and Levertov one question each about their poems. What would you ask?
Shaping Interpretations
2. Based on the last stanza of “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem,” what do you conclude has become of all those missing persons?
3. How is “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem” like a greedy mirror? What words do you think personify the poem as some kind of greedy monster?
4. Can poetry be dangerous? Talk about Reed’s ideas.
5. Who is the speaker of “The Secret”? What can you infer about how the speaker feels about the two girls?
6. In your own words tell what “The Secret” reveals to you about
poetry.
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