Close Reading Questions for Friday:
Ancient Egyptian Love Songs (pp.26-33)
NOTE: Answer 2 of the following questions in a short paragraph, at least
a few sentences so I can see you thinking, but also, so you can get something
out of the poetry. The goal here is to
use the questions to help you ‘see’ things you might not otherwise see, or
simply to have something literal to respond to.
Don’t skim the poems: read them slowly and don’t be afraid to read them
again (they’re short!).
1. How do these poems compare to modern love songs? What sentiments/ideas are the same, and where
do we see significant differences? In
other words, has falling in love changed over the centuries, or do we still do
it in fundamentally the same way? Use at
least one poem to support your answer.
2. What is the general tone of these poems? Though all are about love, are they upbeat
about it? Hopeful? Sad?
Tragic? In other words, how was
the condition of love (or falling in love) viewed in ancient Egypt? Another way to think about this is—what kind
of music do you think should accompany at least one of these songs? What kind of love song is it?
3. Poetry uses metaphors (comparing one thing to another, often unlikely
things) to help us see the world from the poet’s eyes. How does one or more of these poems use
metaphors to discuss ideas of love and sex?
What metaphors/images invoke the idea of sexual contact or passion? Do these make sense in the modern world, or
are they dated to our eyes and ears?
4. Based on these poems, what do you think were the social rules and
taboos between men and women in ancient Egypt?
How were men and women supposed to act around each other, and how do
these poems discuss the difficulty of pursuing love in this society? Again, use a specific poem to support your
answer.
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