Midterm review #2

Please complete in your journal if you did not receive a paper copy in class (copier is out of order)

Midterm review #2        Concepts reviewed: theme, subtext, figurative language

“Compassion” By Miller Williams

Have compassion for everyone you meet,
even if they don’t want it. What seems conceit, 

bad manners, or cynicism is always a sign 

of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen.
You do not know what wars are going on
down there where the spirit meets the bone.

Consider the last two lines: “You do not know what wars are going on / down there where the spirit meets the bone.”

1.      This is an example of figurative language. What is the author suggesting in these two lines (what is the subtext)?

2.      Explain how the last two lines develop the theme of “Compassion.” (hint: the poem is saying much more than just “be nice to others”)