The Fist Derek Walcott Rapid Reading Review

The Fist The fist clenched round my heart loosens a little, and I gasp brightness; but it tightens again. When have I ever not loved the pain of love? But this has moved past love to mania. This has the strong clench of the madman, this is gripping the ledge of unreason, before plunging howling into the abyss. Hold hard then, heart. This way at least you live.

1) The following lines seem to suggest what about the narrator? When have I ever not loved the pain of love? A) The narrator, like many people, enjoys pain and heartache and often seeks it out intentionally. B) The narrator lives a life of safety and chooses to seclude himself in order to avoid pain. C) The narrator is being reflective about his past experiences with love and though it has brought him pain, he is grateful for the experiences. D) The narrator is addicted to suffering and needs counseling.

2) Within this poem, which of the following best represents hesitation or *trepidation? A) The heart B) The madman C) The abyss D) The fist *fear

3) The tone of this poem can be best described as which of the following? A) *melancholy B) instructive C) defeated D) arrogant *depressed

4) This line employs which literary technique? Hold hard then, heart. This way at least you live. A) personification B) hyperbole C) alliteration D) simile

Short Answer 5) Choose a quote from the poem that supports a theme of your choice, and explain the connection. Support your answer. The fist clenched round my heart loosens a little, and I gasp brightness; but it tightens again. When have I ever not loved the pain of love? But this has moved past love to mania. This has the strong clench of the madman, this is gripping the ledge of unreason, before plunging howling into the abyss. Hold hard then, heart. This way at least you live.

Mr. Thom’s Response Carpe diem is Latin for, seize the day. In other words, make the most out of every moment. When the narrator asks, “When have I ever not loved the pain of love?” I feel he is speaking of carpe diem (L. 4-5). Obviously, this question seems to imply that though the narrator has been hurt in the past, he is grateful for those moments of love that contained both pleasure and pain. Clearly, the narrator has learned to seize each moment, even the negative ones, for they too hold lessons of wisdom, lessons of life. Apparently, the narrator embraces the true meaning of carpe diem.