Name:______Period:______

Poetry Analysis Worksheet

Title of Poem: “Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave?”

Author: Thomas Hardy

1. What is the dramatic situation of the poem? (What is taking place literally?)

Someone/something is digging at someone’s grave.

2. Who is the speaker in the poem? (Or, at least, what do we know about him/her?)

The speaker in this poem is a dead woman.

3. To whom is he or she speaking? Who is the audience of the poem?

She is speaking to a dog. The audience is an animal

4. Where is the setting of the poem? Where is the speaker? When does it take place?

The poem takes place at a cemetery. The speaker is in a casket. I would say it takes place in the early 1900s.

5. What is a possible theme of the poem?

Forgetfulness is the possible theme of the poem.

6. Write one line from the poem that you think tells the theme or main conflict of the poem.

“Ah, are you digging on my grave…”

7. Why does the speaker feel compelled to speak out?

She feels compelled to speak out because she is curious about who is around her grave.

8. What kinds of patterns are there in the poem? Does the poem rhyme? Does it have a particular

rhythm or beat? Does it have a visual pattern when you look at it?

The poem does indeed rhyme, but it does not have a rhythm. When you look at it, the poem can have a visual pattern just by the questions asked. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCCCB.

9. How does the poet use language? Is it elevated or fancier language? Is it more vernacular,

colloquial, or casual? Does the poet use a particular dialect or accent?

The poet’s language is fancier and somewhat elevated. His language is vernacular. If you read it you would understand some parts, but you’ll stumble upon some words, so keep your dictionary in hand. You can tell that the poet is not from the United States; he has an accent.

10. What do you think is the most important line of the poem? Why do you think so?

I think the most important line of the poem is the first line of every stanza. This is because it keeps the reader curious; you want to find out who is really at this grave.

11. What images does the poet use to make his or her point?

The poet uses people as images to make his point. The person in the poem is wondering and wondering on who this person is digging on to her grave.

12. What is the tone (mood) of the poem at the beginning, at the end, and overall?

The tone overall is humor. At the beginning of the poem, it is more curious. Towards the end of the poem, it becomes more dumbfounded.