Question

Analyze the poem by answering the following questions.

Answer 1

The Carousel

Gloria C. Oden

An empty carousel in a deserted park
rides me round and round,
forth and back,
from end to beginning,
like the tail that drives the dog. 5

I cannot see:
sight focuses shadow where once
pleased scenery,
and in this whirl of space
only the indefinite is constant. 10

This is the way of grief:
spinning in the rhythm of memories
that will not let you up
or down,
but keeps you grinding through 15
a granite air.

Answer 2

1. What does the title mean? How is it related to the poem?
2. What is the theme? Where and how is it stated?
3. Comment on the imagery used. Cite examples and identify the type of imagery (simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, etc.). To which sense does the poet appeal most often?
4. What is the mood or tone of the poem? How do the imagery and rhythm affect it?