Question

What does the poet suggest is a better way to behave than how Helen Grey is behaving? Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

(5 points)

Answer 1

Point of view: personal

In the first stanza, Dickinson, through the narrator, tells the reader that she’s “Nobody” and asks the reader who he or she is and whether he or she is a “Nobody” like her.

Just as a frog's constant croaking advertises its presence, a “Somebody” will grab attention through speaking and outward behavior. By comparing a “Somebody” to a frog, Dickinson suggests that this type of person does not really have any qualities or skills that make him or her worth noticing—this person is as dull as a croaking frog.

Being a modest and thoughtful “Nobody” is preferable to being a “Somebody” who simply makes a lot of noise to get attention.

Step-by-step explanation: