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1. In her poem, "The Bean Eaters" what details in the poem suggest the economic status of the couple? Would you characterize them as content with their status? Give examples from the poem to support your response.


2. In "The Mother," the speaker addresses her unborn children, "the children you got that you did not get." What details does Brooks use to convey the emotional complications of abortion? What do you think she means by the rhetorical question: "how is the truth to be said?"


3. How does the poem, "kitchenette building" convey a sense of grimness about life? What details emphasize this sense of drudgery?