1. Cozy Apologia
Rita Dove

2. What do we think this poem might be about?

3. In the first stanza Rita Dove lists items she associates with Fred,her husband. What are the associations with these phrases and how are they significant to her relationship with Fred?

4. “glossy blue my pen exudes” “Astride a dappled mare”
“This lamp”
“wind-still rain”
“glossy blue my pen exudes”
“Astride a dappled mare”
“chain mail glinting”
In the first stanza Rita Dove lists items she associates with Fred ,her husband.
“This lamp”, “wind-still rain”, “glossy blue my pen exudes”, “Astride a dappled mare”, “chain mail glinting”
What are the associations with these phrases and how are they significant to her relationship with Fred?

7. In 1999 Hurricane Floyd hit the east coast of America
In 1999 Hurricane Floyd hit the east coast of America. As the hurricane approaches she “reminiscences of teenage crushes”.
How does she present the hurricane in this stanza?
Does she welcome the arrival of the hurricane for any reason?
Select phrases from the second stanza which tell us what she now thinks about her teenage relationships.

8. In stanza three Rita Dove tells us her overall thoughts and feelings about her relationship with her husband.
Which words and phrases sum this up?

9. “We are content, but fall short of the Devine”?
What do you understand by the line,
“We are content, but fall short of the Devine”?

10. Using your notes made already write 5/6 sentences to answer the following question.
What does Rita Dove tell us about her relationship with her husband in Cozy Apologia?