Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Does this poem make learning about meter fun for you? Is it effective?
- Regardless of what it teaches you about meter, what makes this a quality poem?
- Do you think Coleridge's son understood the poem when his father sent it to him? Remember, he wasn't even seven years old when he received it. Would you have understood this poem when you were seven?
- Would you ever use this poem to teach your child about poetic meter?
- The poem is subtitled "A Lesson for a Boy." Do you think it could be for a girl, too? Or is there something masculine about it?
- Why do you think Coleridge describes all these metrical words in terms of strides, or ways of walking? Is it just because they are called feet, or is there something else afoot? (Sorry, Shmoop just couldn't resist the pun.)
- Which metrical foot does Coleridge present the best?