But despite each character's loneliness and despite the decay of their society, these characters do not share the speaker's existential dread. While a direct blast from a skunk can sometimes deter large carnivores like bears, it's unlikely that the lingering smell will keep them away. and find homework help for other Skunk Hour questions at eNotes Q. His observations track an elderly, wealthy woman who seems to have a ton of property, but who is quite alone in her older years. Not affiliated with Harvard College. The speaker, an ambiguous “we” dangling over the story, tells the readers bluntly that the heiress' son is a bishop, a farmer on her farm holds a place in the local government, and that she is beginning to grow senile. The final section of four, the part of Life Studies that “Skunk Hour” appeared in becomes more confessional and more personal than those before it. Solin, Alana. Copyright © 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. A skunk's spray is an oily liquid produced by glands under its large tail. Ask Your Own Question Skunk Hour study guide contains a biography of Robert Lowell, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He seems to be afraid of himself; part of him sobs while another part of him holds it by the throat. We find this out right away. It is modeled on “ The Armadillo,” a poem by Elizabeth Bishop; both poets dedicated their respective poems to each other.Composed of eight six-line stanzas, “Skunk Hour” is one in a series of confessional poems that … Lowell’s (Robert Lowell, “Skunk Hour”) view of nature with Pound’s (Pound, “In a Station of the Metro” Compare Lowell’s (Robert Lowell, “Skunk Hour”) view of nature with Pound’s (Pound, “In a Station of the Metro”). The main threat a skunk offers is the irritation and intensity of a full-on blast from its anal glands. Skunk Hour Questions and Answers The Question and Answer section for Skunk Hour is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The speaker in "Skunk Hour" shares that thirst for love and, hence, his quest on the Golgotha of this earth for "Love, O careless Love." Small oranges loomed in the orange tree. Skunk Hour Questions and Answers The Question and Answer section for Skunk Hour is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Confessional poet Robert Lowell expresses his personal trauma in his poem Skunk Hour through his syntax, multiple themes, and his gothic tone. Then the second half of the poem becomes confessional, as the speaker appears and expresses his self-hatred. Skunk Hour Questions and Answers The Question and Answer section for Skunk Hour is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Skunk Hour, poem by Robert Lowell, published in Life Studies (1959). Lowell's Ancestry and Connections to Judaism, From “Cooked” to “Raw”: Rhyme in Robert Lowell’s Poetry. So his human interaction is limited to who's stuck there with him and, judging by the way he describes his neighbors in the first part of the poem, those people aren't his best friends. The reader can give the mother skunk a number of different meanings. I am having some trouble identifying some of the symbols and themes.' Lowell’s (Robert Lowell, “Skunk Hour”) view of nature with Pound’s (Pound, “In a Station of the Metro” Compare Lowell’s (Robert Lowell, “Skunk Hour”) view of nature with Pound’s (Pound, “In a Station of the Metro”). The refrigerator whinnied into silence. I expected her like a visitor. About 3 hours ago (it is 5:30 PM Eastern right now) I get a frantic call from my across the street neighbor, that there is a skunk rolling around on my front lawn (acre area) and sure nuf, I have what appears to be a large adult, dis-oriented, walking in slow circles, unaware of my presence and just generally screwed up. Q. Her farmer is first selectman in our village; she's in her dotage. Collapse All Expand All My pet has been sprayed by a Skunk, what do I do? To help the reader interpret the decline and decay in his life, Lowell begins the poem by setting the scen in a New England fishing town. Finally, she "does not scare," and the speaker finds this admirable. The skunks in this poem appear at first in front of the Trinitarian church in town, but their presence acts in opposition to the church, which Lowell describes as "chalk-dry." Skunk Hour Summary. Jo calls the skunk’s mommy stupid because the mommy hit the wizard and forced him to make skunk smell bad again. 2 Thank You. ” There is no question but that its so-called “confessional” poetry was something radically new in American literature. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Skunk Hour by Robert Lowell. Where do skunks live? What significance do the characters introduced in the first several stanzas add to the poem? Ask Your Own Question Q. Get an answer for 'What does "the red fox stain covering blue hill" symbolize in "Skunk Hour"?' These characters seem to act as a critique of wealth, or a critique of society's limited norms regarding the gay decorator, but they are not written in a pointed manner. Q. Night after night. Swarnima Prajapati 4 months, 2 weeks ago. Here's the poem, "Skunk Hour": "Nautilus Island's hermit heiress still lives through winter in her Spartan cottage; her sheep still graze above the sea. When are skunks a problem? “Skunk Hour” indicated a new chapter in Lowell’s poetry, where his poetry became confessional but never dramatic or verbose. In the context of the entire Volume, "Skunk Hour" articulates a ground of values that make it possible to endure, if not to overcome, the anxieties of contemporary life and the loss of traditional grounds for value. How does the speaker's voice change over the course of the poem? The poem falls into eight stanzas with six lines each. The speaker also may be inspired by how undisturbed she is by her own repulsiveness. Check out our... Form and Meter. Circle all the pronouns in “Skunk Hour.” What do you notice about they organize the poem? The second dog (who had a history of being sprayed 5 times in the past), had a seizure and died 12 hours after a skunk spray. The skunks, on the other hand, are dripping with color and character, with fire in their "moonstruck eyes." A secure network is the way we ensure that nobody breaks into our servers and finds your details or any of our essays writer’s essays. Published in 1957, Skunk Hour is a part of Lowell’s fourth book, Life Studies. Examine the role of religious imagery in this poem and how it relates to the skunks. Common Skunks Questions & Answers FAQs. It's well known that famous poets Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell were very close friends, and it's even rumored that he proposed to her once and she refused – we wouldn't keep you out of the gossip loop! This website and its content is subject to our Terms and Conditions. Her son's a bishop. Q. How can one interpret the final stanza? 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