010. There's Been a Death in the Opposite House

Exercise 1
Choose the correct answer.

1. Who is the persona of the poem?
A. A little boy
B. The dead person
C. Emily Dickinson
D. A little boy now grown up

2. The doctor drives away because
A. the patient has died
B. the patient was recovered
C. he has quarrelled with the neighbours
D. he wants to get more medicines for the patient

3. Who is the man of the appalling trade?
A. The undertaker
B. The persona
C. The miliner
D. The doctor

4. What is the meaning of the 'house' in stanza 5?
A. The coffin
B. The house opposite
C. The persona's house
D. The minister's house

5. 'That dark parade of tassels and of coaches' means
A. the neighbours going in and coming out of the house
B. the funeral procession passing through town
C. the children hurrying past the house
D. the doctor driving away

6. Why does the minister go into the house?
A. He owns the house.
B. He lives in that house.
C. He wants to measure the house.
D. He wants to comfort the family.

7. Which of the following adjectives best describes the town?
A. Cold and unfriendly
B. Small and quiet
C. Rich and uncaring
D. Big and active

Exercise 2
Write short answers to the following questions.

1. Why are the neighbours going in and coming out of the house?

2. Why does the minister feel that he owns the house and all the mourners?

3. Why do the children think of the dead person as 'It'?

4. What is the 'easy sign' referred to in the last stanza?

5. Why does te poet refer to the town as 'just a country town'?