Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the central paradox explored in Tony Hoagland's poem 'Why I Like the Hospital'?
What is the central paradox explored in Tony Hoagland's poem 'Why I Like the Hospital'?
- The speaker's attraction to a place of suffering and loss, finding value in its starkness. (correct)
- The speaker's admiration for the professionalism of the hospital staff amidst patient despair.
- The speaker's appreciation for the sterile environment despite its unpleasant smells.
- The speaker's fascination with medical technology contrasted with the fear of illness.
Which of the following best describes the significance of the line 'each sick person standing in the middle of a field, like a tree wondering what happened to the forest'?
Which of the following best describes the significance of the line 'each sick person standing in the middle of a field, like a tree wondering what happened to the forest'?
- It highlights the disruption of natural processes caused by modern medical interventions.
- It represents the patient's struggle to find peace and tranquility within the sterile hospital environment.
- It emphasizes the physical isolation and environmental disconnect experienced by patients.
- It symbolizes the loss of community and the individual's confrontation with their mortality. (correct)
In the poem, what does the speaker suggest about the 'complex scoring system' people invent in the hospital?
In the poem, what does the speaker suggest about the 'complex scoring system' people invent in the hospital?
- It's an exercise in self-deception, minimizing their flaws while exaggerating their virtues.
- It's a coping mechanism to quantify their suffering and seek validation.
- It's a genuine attempt to find meaning and evaluate their actions in the face of mortality. (correct)
- It's a superficial distraction from the harsh realities of their medical conditions.
How does the poem utilize imagery to convey the atmosphere of the hospital?
How does the poem utilize imagery to convey the atmosphere of the hospital?
What is the effect of the speaker’s unconventional preferences in 'Why I Like the Hospital' on the reader's understanding of illness and healing?
What is the effect of the speaker’s unconventional preferences in 'Why I Like the Hospital' on the reader's understanding of illness and healing?
Flashcards
Simile
Simile
A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.
Pathos
Pathos
A quality that evokes pity or sadness.
Shunt
Shunt
A surgical device used to redirect fluid in the body.
Introspection
Introspection
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Apathy
Apathy
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Study Notes
- The poem "Why I Like the Hospital" has a title that provokes thought and curiosity.
- The poem highlights the apathy of hospitals towards patients.
- The poet is Tony Hoagland.
- The poem expresses the idea that it is acceptable to be in a bad mood in a hospital setting.
- The poem uses "staring at the closed beige doors like a prison wall" as a simile.
- The hospital grants permission for pathos:
- A mother with cancer contemplates how to tell her children, to evoke feelings of sadness.
- A bald girl stares downward at the shunt, which is a surgical device installed above her missing breast.
- An old woman in pajamas walks with an IV pole, suggesting fragility and vulnerability.
- The speaker doesn't like the smell of antiseptic or the air conditioning.
- Some patients on plastic chairs tally up their days on earth.
- There is a column listing "Times I Acted Like a Fool" and "Times I Acted Like a Saint”.
- The speaker likes the "long prairie of the waiting".
- Sick people stand in the middle of a field.
- Stating each sick person is like a tree wondering what happened to the forest is a simile.
- The forced intimacy of the self with the self is the time for introspection.
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