The Book of Questions, III

The Book of Questions, III Essay Questions

  1. 1

    How are all of the stanzas related to each other?

    All four stanzas broach philosophical questions through personifying things that people commonly encounter in everyday life.

  2. 2

    Why does the poem split its focus between nature, in the first two questions, and technology, in the last two questions?

    The first two questions personify natural objects, which may be easier for readers to imagine as persons because we already perceive plants to be living beings. Then the second two questions personify two machines, which may be more of a stretch for readers to imagine, but extends the overall animist vision of the poem.