Background of the author
Class Discussion Questions:
1. The speaker in "To the Snake" swears to her companions that the green snake was "harmless," but what is her motivation for holding it, to feel its "weight"?
2. What is the "dark morning"?
3. In "The Jacob's Ladder," explain the last line. How does "the poem" ascend? What about the poet?
4. In "In Mind," what is the crucial difference between the two women in the speaker's mind. Does the poem suggest that one is preferred?
5. How does Levertov explore the intersection between art and life in these poems? Are "art" and "life" conflicting or complementary terms?
