Calgary 2 a.m. By Christopher Wiseman

Calgary 2 a.m.

By Christopher Wiseman

In spite of the fact that it’s twenty below

and winter has gone on for five long months,

in spite of being starved, starved almost to death

for greenness and warmth, flowers and birds,

in spite of the deadness of endless classrooms,

shopping centres, television shows,

in spite of the pains in the gut, the migraines,

the wakings, the palpitations,

in spite of a guilty knowledge of laziness,

of failure to meet some obligations,

in spite of all these things, and more,

I have to report that the moon tonight

is filling the house with a wild blueness,

my children grow, excel, are healthy,

my wife is gentle, there are friends,

and once in a while a poem will come.

In spite of the fact that it’s twenty below,

tonight I smile. Summer bursts inside me.

Analyze the above poem:

• What is the significance of the title?
• Summarize the main idea of the poem.
• What is the prevalent image in the poem?
• Identify and discuss the poet’s use of two effective words.
• Identify and discuss two examples of figurative language in the poem.
• What two aspects of the poem may be confusing?
• Indicate which Essential Question might relate best to this poem, and provide a brief rationale. (Essential questions: 1. To what degree can an individual’s choices and actions influence the direction of his or her life?, 2. Why is it important to be responsible to others on a personal, local, global, and digital level?, 3. What does it mean to be successful and what role does failure play?, 4. How does an individual’s perspective of, and response to, a crisis define him or her?)