Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- What is the relationship between the poem’s sonnet form and its content?
- Was the speaker an especially clueless and unappreciative kid? Or are all children a little bit blind to their parents’ life experiences?
- Does the father’s point of view appear anywhere in the poem? Do we ever know what he is thinking or feeling?
- Why is so much of the poem about coldness and warmth? How do these things affect the poem’s meaning?
- Do you think that the speaker was ever able to tell his father what he’s learned about love? Why or why not?
- In what sense do you think the word "offices" is being used in that last line?