What can attitude tell us? To help students find out, begin by asking who owns the action of each stanza in this poem. This will help a performer trace the speaker’s transformation from line to line and stanza to stanza. Then ask about shifts in the speaker’s attitudes toward women, the loose gown–wearing ones in particular. How does the speaker feel about women by the end of the poem? Be warned: If you plan to teach “They Flee from Me” to high school students, they’ll probably groan when they first encounter the archaic language. But entice them by telling them that this provocative poem is rated PG-13, and assure them that after close reading they will understand it perfectly.
(Poetry Foundation)
©rickster70
R