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The Darkling Thrush Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Why doesn't the speaker himself have an ecstatic moment? Why is it only the bird that gets to see good things ahead?
  2. Is this a poem about the end of the nineteenth century or the beginning of the twentieth? How does this decision change your reading of the poem?
  3. Is the speaker a pragmatist or an over-the-top drama queen?
  4. Does this poem truly seem to be upset about the coming of the new century? Why or why not?