By Thomas Hardy
Question 1
 Look at the word choice:
 What is the effect of the word “convergence”? The word
“Twain”? The word “Loss”?
Question 1
 Look at the word choice:
 What is the effect of the word “convergence”? The word
“Twain”?
According to American Heritage Dictionary:
Convergence -- The process of coming together or the state
of having come together toward a common point.
Twain – used in the KJV of the Bible and in the Wedding
Service
Question 2
 Read over the first stanza (I). What do you notice
about the sounds in this stanza? What do these sounds
suggest?
Question 3
 How are the ideas within stanzas II, III, and IV
presented to the reader? Why might this be?
Question 4
 There is obviously a lot of alliteration in this poem.
Examine a variety of the examples of it throughout the
text and consider the effect. Overall, what does the
alliteration achieve?
Question 5
 What changes occur between I-V and VI-XI? What is
the effect of such changes?
Question 6
 What is the effect of separating each stanza with a
Roman numeral?
Question 7
 Examine the language in stanzas IX, X, XI –
 Why “intimate welding” (line 27)?
 Why “twin halves” and “august event” (line 30)?
 Why “consummation” (line 33)?
Question 8
 Taking all of this into account, what specifically is the
speaker’s attitude toward the sinking of the Titanic?
 Does your response to this question change from your
initial response? If so, in what ways?
HW: Revisit the other 4 poems
 Re-examine each of the other poems in the packet.
Make certain that your “What” is specific and
defensible with the text. Print and complete a new
chart if needed.
Question
 In what order are the events discussed in this poem
presented? Why might the author have organized it in
this way?