Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Do you think anyone is actually being hit in this poem? Why or why not?
- What do you think Clorinda means when she says "Hit me again"? Is she being sarcastic? Is she issuing a threat? A dare? Or is this command a sad reflection of the fact that Clorinda might be so abused that she has been emotionally manipulated into asking for more?
- Who do you think is the speaker of the poem? Is he a bystander? Could he be the man with the fist? Or even Clorinda?
- How would the poem be different without the title? Would you read it more or less metaphorically?
- What do you think Hughes might be saying about love? Violence?
- Do you think this poem is really talking about love? Or about something else entirely?
- What does this poem tell us about life on Beale Street?
- If you could write a metaphor for love, what would it be?