Analyzing Poems and How Things Work

What does the speaker in “Dump” mean by “discarded hopes” (line 9)?

• things that people don’t have enough space to store
• things people bought that disappointed them
• things that remind people of unpleasant events
• things that people regret having thrown away

What image is created by the form of “Dump”?

• a tall pile of things that have been discarded
• a long journey undertaken by the speaker
• a dialogue between two people
• a long list of items the speaker wants

What does the speaker in “Dump” mean by “our lightened living room” (line 22)?

• The room has been emptied of the things that he took to the dump.
• He will be happy to get away from the dump and back to his living room.
• The room will be brighter by the time he gets home.
• The room will seem light in comparison to the clutter at the dump.

Which lines in “Dump” contain a metaphor?

• “Paintings eternally stale / That, hung, remained aloof,” (lines 15–16)
• “The acrid smell of trash / Arises like perfume.” (lines 23–24)
• “Maneuvering steep stairs / of bedsprings to our car,” (lines 25–26)
• “We stumble on homecanned pears / grown poisonous in their jar” (lines 27–28)

What does the speaker in “Dump” mean by the lines “Our emptiness may rankle / but soon it too shall pass” (lines 31–32)?

• We will get over our desire to accumulate things.
• We will buy new things to fill up our emptiness.
• We will soon forget all about our experience at the dump.
• We will bring home some of the things from the dump.

The speaker in “How Things Work” is addressing

• his wife.
• a waitress.
• shoppers.
• his daughter.

In “How Things Work,” what is the speaker saying about the things he buys?

• He buys things only for other people.
• He doesn’t really need the things that he buys.
• Each thing he buys helps another person buy something.
• The things he buys cost too much.

Which lines from “How Things Work” contain a simile?

• “The tip I left / for the waitress filters down / Like rain, . . . “ (lines 5–7)
• “Perhaps, a belligerent cat that won’t let go / Of a balled sock . . .” (lines 8–9)
• “As far as I can tell, daughter, it works like this:” (line 10)
• “Tickets to a movie in which laughter / Is thrown into their faces.” (lines 14–15)

What is the effect of the final words “I guess” in “How Things Work”?

• They show that the speaker has not been serious about what he has said.
• They emphasize what the speaker has said earlier in the poem.
• They contribute to the rhythm of the poem.
• They show that the speaker has doubts about what he has said.

In what way are the two poems alike?

• Both have a regular rhyme scheme.
• Both include a listing of items.
• Both have four stanzas.
• Both use a question-and-answer structure.