14 Questions
What do the people in the poem laugh with nowadays?
Their teeth
What do people say when they mean the opposite?
Glad to meet you when they don't mean it
What has the speaker learned to do in the poem?
Wear many faces
What does the speaker want to relearn in the poem?
How to laugh genuinely
What does the speaker see in the mirror?
Only their teeth
What is the speaker's desire in the poem?
To be what they used to be
What is the speaker's current attitude towards others?
Cold and suspicious
What does the speaker compare their own laugh to?
A snake's bare fangs
What is the speaker's relationship with others like?
Superficial and insincere
What does the speaker want to relearn from their past?
How to laugh genuinely
What does the speaker do to adapt to different social situations?
Wears different faces
What does the speaker ask their son to do?
Teach them how to laugh
What is the tone of the speaker's words?
Nostalgic and melancholic
What is the speaker's current emotional state?
Disillusioned and frustrated
Study Notes
The Speaker's Observations
- People have changed; they now laugh with their teeth, not their hearts, and their eyes are "ice-block-cold".
- They used to shake hands with their hearts, but now they do so without hearts.
The Speaker's Adaptation
- The speaker has learned to wear different faces (homeface, officeface, streetface, etc.) with conforming smiles.
- They have learned to laugh with only their teeth and shake hands without their heart.
- The speaker has also learned to say courteous phrases without meaning them (e.g., "Goodbye" when meaning "Good-riddance").
The Speaker's Regret and Desire
- The speaker wants to return to being genuine and authentic, like they used to be when they were younger.
- They want to unlearn the superficial behaviors they have adopted.
- The speaker wants to relearn how to laugh sincerely, as their current laugh appears forced and fake.
The Speaker's Request
- The speaker asks their son to teach them how to laugh and smile genuinely, as they used to when they were younger.
The Speaker's Observations
- People have changed; they now laugh with their teeth, not their hearts, and their eyes are "ice-block-cold".
- They used to shake hands with their hearts, but now they do so without hearts.
The Speaker's Adaptation
- The speaker has learned to wear different faces (homeface, officeface, streetface, etc.) with conforming smiles.
- They have learned to laugh with only their teeth and shake hands without their heart.
- The speaker has also learned to say courteous phrases without meaning them (e.g., "Goodbye" when meaning "Good-riddance").
The Speaker's Regret and Desire
- The speaker wants to return to being genuine and authentic, like they used to be when they were younger.
- They want to unlearn the superficial behaviors they have adopted.
- The speaker wants to relearn how to laugh sincerely, as their current laugh appears forced and fake.
The Speaker's Request
- The speaker asks their son to teach them how to laugh and smile genuinely, as they used to when they were younger.
Analyze the poem that explores the theme of superficial relationships and the loss of genuine human connections. Identify the literary devices, tone, and symbolism used by the poet.
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