Question

1. Consider the events of the poem “Life Is Fine.” Based on what happens, what is the overall mood of the poem? How does the poet use rhythm to convey that mood? Support your answer with specific examples from the poem.

Answer 1

Hughes structures the poem as a monologue where the speaker narrates his development from being in total despair to self- enlightenment. The poem is also didactic since it teaches the audience a moral about life appreciation. By linking the speaker’s situation in the poem with their own experiences in encountering similar miseries, the audience can easily interpret the message that the poet is trying to convey through his poem.

The rhyme scheme in this poem is simple. The last word in the second line rhymes with the last word in the fourth line, therefore the scheme is recognized as A-B-C-B. However, what give the poem individuality are the three refrains where each of them is placed after every two stanzas. The exclamation marks in the refrains are used to express the speaker’s vehement emotions towards the pain as well as the struggles he is getting through when trying to commit suicide. The similarities between the first two refrains: “But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!”and “But it was High up there! It was high!” demonstrates the speaker’s fear as he almost experiences the frightening features of death. The word “but” also reveals the speaker’s effort to explain why his determination fails as death approaches him.