ShmoopTube

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Here's your shmoop du jour, brought to you by Garland.

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Our favorite singer to hang on the Christmas tree.

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Which of the following BEST describes the tone of the poem as a whole?

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And here are the potential answers...

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Have your parents ever told you to "watch your tone?"

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If not... boy, you really are a goody two-shoes, aren't you?

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If they have ever given you this reprimand... they're basically telling you... okay, WARNING

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you... that you'd better change your attitude, or approach, to the conversation.

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This question is asking a similar thing with regard to this entire poem.

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Does it have a good attitude... or does it need to go to its room for an hour so it can

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think about what it did?

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Our first option is A -- sneering condescension.

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Condescension is talking down to someone as if they're inferior to you...

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and we don't get that sense here.

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You can cross out A... or... do you need someone smarter than you to do it for you?

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What about B -- enthusiastic excitement?

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He's certainly pleased by aspects of the urn... but enthusiasm doesn't quite get at it.

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He's not pumped about something that's going to happen -- it's more about looking backward...

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C -- somber reflection?

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Reflection, sure... but somber? He's not being a downer about things. So... no.

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D -- wistful nostalgia?

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Nostalgia is closely related to reflection... and in this case, wistful is much more accurate

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than somber.

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He's contemplative, or... full of wist, if you will.

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D seems like a winner... Lastly, E -- bittersweet remorse?

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Again, nothing bitter or remorseful here... he's not expressing any regret, just the peaceful

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remembrance of the good ol' times.

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So D's our answer.

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Aw... remember back when we first read this poem, 10 questions ago?

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Seems like only yesterday...

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