The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies.
Neil Gaiman, American Gods
What do these words conjure up for you? What do you “see”? Is there a type of house (or a hint of a house) that comes to mind?
There! In that one sentence, Gaiman has created a setting for us.
What kind of story is going to be told? Why do you think that?
Again, Gaiman has set up context for us.
You don’t have to spend pages or paragraphs to give a story setting and context. A few well-chosen words will do the trick.
Read the poem on this website, then answer the questions below in the comments section of this page:
- What is the setting in the first stanza of the poem for you?
- How about the setting in the third stanza?
- The final line of the poem, “Warsaw, 1944” puts the poem in context. What was going on in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944?
- What do you think this poem is about with the final line?
- What would change if the final line was gone?
The takeaway here is that a few words can change the context of a rather peaceful setting.
This week is going to be a writing week.
I want you to spend time reviewing your Cohort’s reviews of your first short story, revising it, and then posting it on our website under Short Stories. Next, I want you to work on your second short story and submit it to your Cohort.
Details and deadlines can be found on Week 10’s Assignment page!
Good evening,
These are my answer for the questions on the poem, “A Song On the End of The World”:
What is the setting in the first stanza of the poem for you?
The setting in the first stanza of the poem is close to the ocean.
How about the setting in the third stanza?
The third stanza wasn’t detailed about the setting, but I could make a guess that it was during the warm weather time because of the bumble and rose growing.
The final line of the poem, “Warsaw, 1944” puts the poem in context. What was going on in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944?
During Warsaw, Poland in 1944 the Polish rebels surrender to the German Forces.
What do you think this poem is about with the final line?
The poem is about without the final line of “Warsaw 1944” gave us a better understand how the Poland people felt their freedom was ending. However, they think about all the good things to get them through the days.
What would change if the final line was gone?
If the last line didn’t have “Warsaw 1944”, we will not know what the author was trying to tell the reader. It would have become more of a fictional poem because the world did not come to the end.
What is the setting in the first stanza of the poem for you?
In the first stanza, I believe the setting for the poem is a lake or pond because of the
person present, the fisherman.
How about the setting in the third stanza?
For the third stanza, I believe the setting for the poem is somewhere that involves a big
open, bright space like a field.
The final line of the poem, “Warsaw, 1944” puts the poem in context. What was going on in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944?
After doing some research, in Warsaw, Poland during 1944 , the people of Poland
surrendered to the Germans during WWII.
What do you think this poem is about with the final line?
I think this poem is about what life will be like after all the tragedy is over. Based on the
last line, I believe the point of the poem is finding something brighter and happier
despite all the chaos.
What would change if the final line was gone?
If the final line was gone, I believe that the context of the poem will be misunderstood
and interpreted differently.
1.What is the setting in the first stanza of the poem for you?
The first stanza promotes at the same time a very peaceful and a very context and setting. The poet adds a line which states the world ending, but continues with a peaceful setting of a fisherman fishing, adds words such as happy, which may confuse a reader.
2.How about the setting in the third stanza?
The third stanza introduces a setting where there is new flowers growing, new born are born, etc. Anything but something anyone could expect when the world is ending.
3.The final line of the poem, “Warsaw, 1944” puts the poem in context. What was going on in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944?
During Warsaw, Poland in 1944, Nazis were taking over the grounds of the polish lands, where it in fact seemed the everyone that the world is indeed ending.
4.What do you think this poem is about with the final line?
The poem is most likely is described during the act of Nazi Germans who were attacking Polish lands. This poem explained that everything great was happening at the same time of the scary moment, and no one expected all of that.
5.What would change if the final line was gone?
The reader may picture the poem otherwise since, there would be a confusion of why the poem states that there is end of the world but is written in a very calm and peaceful tone.
1. What is the setting in the first stanza of the poem for you?
The setting in the first stanza is by the sea based on the author’s description of the fisherman and the happy porpoises jumping in the sea.
2. How about the setting in the third stanza?
The setting in the third stanza is showing signs of life and hope during a time when people are thinking a preparing themself for the worst.
3. The final line of the poem, “Warsaw, 1944” puts the poem in context. What was going on in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944?
Warsaw uprising in 1944 is a time during which Poles unsuccessfully tried to oust the German army and seize control of the city before it was occupied by the advancing Soviet army.
4. 1. What do you think this poem is about with the final line?
In the final line where it says “there will be no other end of the world” is saying that the situation cannot get any worst and if the end of the world did not happen during that time it won’t be happening again.
5. What would change if the final line was gone?
The final line re-enforces the second to last line of the poem to state a point. It adds emphasis to the pome and without that line, the severity of the situation would not be understood.
Answers:
1. The setting for me in the first stanza is the ocean or some type of body of water, or a garden by the sea because it is talking about a sea, fisherman, and a rain spout.
2. In the third stanza, I feel like the setting is anywhere in the dark where people can see the thunderstorm and lightning. Or it can also be like a garden full of flowers with the sun during the day or moon at night
3. Warsaw, Poland was one of the epicenters of war during WWII in Europe, in 1944.
4. It is about the destruction of the city by forces of war. It is being compared to the end of the world because it was very bad and destructive. By saying “The will be no other end of the world,” the author is trying to mention that the war is ending.
5. If the final line was not there, as a reader I would be suspended in the thought of anticipation of the end of the world or just believing that the author is actually talking about the end of the world.
1. What is the setting in the first stanza of the poem for you?
Since the author made use of words like “fisherman” “net” and “porpoises” the setting could be the sea.
2. How about the setting in the third stanza?
The third stanza is a bit confusing but I think the setting is the world in general where people are waiting or preparing for the arrival of something or someone.
3. The final line of the poem, “Warsaw, 1944” puts the poem in context. What was going on in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944?
Warsaw 1944 was a World War II operation where Poles tried to oust the German army and take control of the city before it was occupied by the Soviet army.
4. What do you think this poem is about with the final line?
After researching what “Warsaw 1944” was I think the poem is about the arrival of chaos and disaster to the world.
5. What would change if the final line was gone?
Without the last line “Warsaw 1944” people would most likely think that the poem is about a religious arrival.
1. The setting of the poem from the first stanza has to do with water. The author uses words like fisherman, net, sea, and rainspout. These words all allude to water.
2. From the third stanza, the setting of the poem alludes to a time of peace and warmth. Therefore, people do not believe that then end of the world could happen when such nice things occur at a supposed end of world.
3. During 1944, Poland had surrendered to Nazi Germany.
4. During this time, the Polish must have though that them surrendering to Nazi Germany was the worst it could get. Like the saying goes when you’re at rock bottom, “you can only go up from here”. The Polish must believe that there can’t be another of the world because they have already lived through one.
5. If the final line were gone then the poem would lose its meaning. The author used the last line to juxtapose against the third stanza. Illustrating a time of supposed peace with raw acceptance the end of the world.
1. The setting of the poem from the first stanza has to do with water. The author uses words like fisherman, net, sea, and rainspout. These words all allude to water.
2. From the third stanza, the setting of the poem alludes to a time of peace and warmth. Therefore, people do not believe that then end of the world could happen when such nice things occur at a supposed end of world.
3. During 1944, Poland had surrendered to Nazi Germany.
4. During this time, the Polish must have though that them surrendering to Nazi Germany was the worst it could get. Like the saying goes when you’re at rock bottom, “you can only go up from here”. The Polish must believe that there can’t be another of the world because they have already lived through one.
5. If the final line were gone then the poem would lose its meaning. The author used the last line to juxtapose against the third stanza. Illustrating a time of supposed peace with raw acceptance the end of the world.
1. The setting of the poem in the first stanza describes what seems like an everyday thing. The bees are present, the fishermen are tending to their fish nets, and snakes are as they should be.
2. The setting of the third stanza I think is similar but the author makes it known that the expectations of the end of the world such as thunder and lightning aren’t real, the world ending looks just as the world would look on a regular day.
3. From what I have read online in 1944, Warsaw the polish rebels surrendered their freedom to the German after trying to take control of their city before the Soviet Army took control of it.
4. With the final line included the poem may be about of how the author felt during this time. The world was ending, their freedom was taken from them, and the world would change as they know it to be.
5. If the final line was gone I think that the poem would not have the same meaning. I think the author was describing what he sees as the end of the word for him and the city and if the final line was gone we wouldn’t know to was event he was referring too.
1. The setting of the poem in the first stanza describes what seems like an everyday thing for a fisherman with the use of words such as sea, net and rainspout.
2. From the third stanza, the setting of the poem gives readers the sense of the chaos with thunder and lightning as if the world was ending
3. 1944 In Poland during WWII in Europe .
4. The final lines was about disaster and chaos
5.The poem wouldn’t have the same meaning, readers wouldn’t be able to understand the event that’s occurring
The setting of the first stanza of the poem is by the sea or the river describing multiple events occurring at the same time the world is ending. The events described are rather peaceful and ironic to the fact that it is happening on the day the world ends. The stanza talks about a fisherman mending the net, porpoises jumping in the sea, sparrows that are playing, and a description of a snake.
The setting on the third stanza describe how the end of the world is happening while all the normal events are taking place such as the sun and moon appear, infants are born, bees and circling roses, and no archangels trumps are being played. It talks about the people that are watching and disappointed that it is the end of the world but everything seems normal.
The final line of the poem explains the whole irony of the events described in the previous stanzas. In 1944, Poland; Nazis were in control torturing innocent people in concentration camps while the rest of the world many places were living a normal lives, animals and humans. People and animals were working and living their lives while in Poland, many were losing their lives and thought that it was the end of the world, but it was the end of their world only.
If he final sentence was not there, it will be clear that the whole world is in fact ending for everyone; but the final sentence indicates that as long as there are other people and animals continuing their normal lives, life goes on and there is no end to the world.