Question

directions: brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. what does it mean to be \somebody\ and what does it mean to be

obody\? which is better in the context of this poem? which is better in your opinion?

1. in the context of this poem, what makes you who you are? cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

1. dickinson is famous for isolating herself from society. in the context of this poem, what does it mean to be alone? cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

Explanation:

Since the poem isn't provided, I'll give a general approach for answering these questions (assuming the poem is Emily Dickinson's "I'm Nobody! Who are you?"):

Question 1

• "Somebody" likely means a public, recognized figure (e.g., seeking fame, social status). "Nobody" means someone private, avoiding public attention. In the poem, being "Nobody" is presented as positive (no "dreary" publicity). Personally, it depends on values: some prefer privacy, others recognition.

In the poem, identity comes from embracing “nobody” status (rejecting public norms). From experience, identity is shaped by values (e.g., valuing privacy). Other texts: Thoreau in Walden valued self - reliance/non - conformity, shaping his identity. Art/history: figures like Emily Brontë (private, wrote powerfully) show identity from inner conviction.

In the poem, being alone means being “Nobody” (private, not part of public “Frog” - like performance). From experience, alone can mean self - aware solitude (not lonely). Literature: Wordsworth’s “I wandered lonely as a cloud” shows productive solitude. History: hermits/monks chose solitude for spiritual growth, like Dickinson for creative focus.

Answer:

In Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”, “somebody” refers to a publicly recognized, perhaps fame - seeking individual (e.g., “How public - like a Frog—/ To tell one’s name—the livelong June—”). “Nobody” is a private, unostentatious person, content with anonymity (“I’m Nobody! Who are you? / Are you—Nobody—too? / Then there’s a pair of us!”). In the poem’s context, being “Nobody” is better as it avoids the “dreary” performance of public life. Personally, it varies: some find meaning in privacy (like “Nobody”), while others thrive on recognition.

Question 2