NAZARRO, Mary Joy J.

12-Zara July 13, 2018

Assignment in 21st Century Literature

1. Which part of the poem suggests the scene where the persona is situated?
 The part of the poem where the persona’s situation is shadowed is in the 2nd stanza
of the poem stating, “I love the quiet ways of memory, the quiet looks to give you loving
praise, the quiet secrets of my misery through quiet nights and days”. It means that
the persona is keeping her problems and her every thoughts all by herself by being
quiet about it. You can see that in the 2nd line of this part, her way of praising God is
by being quiet also. But this particular line is somewhat connected to the last two lines
in the 3rd stanza of the poem, where although she is not being vocal about her
problems, she quietly asks God why it is happening to her.
2. How will you describe the setting where the persona in the poem is situated?
 The imagery shown in the 2nd stanza of the poem is a scenery where she quietly, with
eyes close, praying to God about her grief. I think that she is also facing difficulties day
and night, but cannot voice out her own struggle. However, sometimes being quiet or
pretending that things are okay, will all still fall down on you. It’s normal to face those
kinds of situation, and crying and sharing your burdens will help you a lot in order to
ease some of it on your shoulder.
3. In the first stanza, how does the speaker describe quietness?
 She describe that quietness doesn’t only mean thyself. Unechoed songs within a silent
heart means that there is something behind that silence. And the least two lines of the
poem means that calmness is equal to quietness, where there’s no thoughts or words
which can come into your mind. It’s like stating that silence keeps your mind pre-
occupied.
4. Why does the speaker love quietness?
 Because she is pertaining to the nature. The persona must have been a nature lover.
The calmness and peacefulness the nature gives you is as aesthetic as viewing a
beautiful painting where you can say it’s a work of art.
5. What does quietness give as suggested by the lines of the poem?
 Being quiet can send many signals such as giving the quiet looks as it is in the poem
and can also mean silent misery, the persona quietly questioning God.
6. In stanza 2, it can be interpreted that there could be something that quietness covers. What
could it be?
 It can also be the sadness, the pain you are feeling that you can’t let out.
7. How will you interpret the last two lines of the poem? What idea is revealed by these lines?
 It means that the kind of quietness she is referring to within these lines is like smooth
on the outside but the truth is it is packed with many thoughts. She is complaining to
God about how things are happening to her. She is quiet when she is praying, but
inside she has full of mixed emotions while communicating with God.
8. Do people need some quiet moments in their lives? Explain.
 For me yes, because it is very essential to us in a way that being quiet enables us to
realize many things. Even in studying, when you think you have taken in too much
information, you need time to internalize everything by being quiet. As for a moment
with your loved ones, sometimes having the silence between the two of you also
signifies that you are united in thoughts. There is no better word for describing silence
except for its own meaning. Silence is simply just silence.