Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why a traveler? What is the significance of this word in the poem?
- What effect does this poem's form (3 stanzas, 5 lines each) have? How about the rhyme scheme?
- How would you describe the tone of this poem? Sad? Hopeful? Realistic?
- Who do you think Longfellow had in mind when he wrote this poem? Who is the poem's audience?
- What is the effect of the refrain in this poem anyway? Does it make the poem seem too sing-songy?
- Longfellow's reputation has declined a lot since his death in 1882. Based on this poem and others you may have read, is this deserved? Why or why not?