What does the poet mean by “a sudden strangeness” in the poem? How does it relate to the theme of the poem?

Answer as written by the student:

The poet means by “a sudden strangeness” in the poem a moment of silence and stillness that would be unusual and unexpected in our busy and noisy world. The poet imagines what would happen if we all stopped talking, moving, and working for one second, and how that would create a sense of wonder and connection among us. 

The “sudden strangeness” relates to the theme of the poem, which is the need for peace and harmony in our lives. The poet suggests that by keeping quiet, we can become more aware of ourselves, each other, and nature, and we can also avoid violence, destruction, and suffering. 

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

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To answer a comprehension question, you have to look for clues that tell you the answer in the poem. 🔍

• Sometimes, the clues are direct and explicit, which means they are clearly stated in the poem. For example, “Now we will count to twelve” or “Perhaps the Earth can teach us”.
• Other times, the clues are indirect and implicit, which means they are suggested or implied in the poem. For example, “It would be an exotic moment” or “The fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales”.
• In this question, the clues are both direct and indirect, which show how the poet describes and relates the “sudden strangeness” in the poem. 🌟
• The poet means by “a sudden strangeness” in the poem a moment of silence and stillness that would be unusual and unexpected in our busy and noisy world. He uses words like “exotic”, “strange”, and “without rush” to emphasize how different this moment would be from our normal lives. He also uses words like “count to twelve” and “one second” to show how short and simple this moment would be. 🕑
• The poet imagines what would happen if we all stopped talking, moving, and working for one second, and how that would create a sense of wonder and connection among us. He uses words like “not speak any language”, “not move our arms so much”, and “not do anything” to show how we would stop our usual activities and communication. He also uses words like “look at each other”, “smile”, and “all be together” to show how we would become more aware of each other’s presence and feelings. 😊
• The “sudden strangeness” relates to the theme of the poem, which is the need for peace and harmony in our lives. He uses words like “sadness”, “threats”, “wars”, and “misery” to show how our lives are full of violence, destruction, and suffering. He also uses words like “peace”, “understanding”, “happiness”, and “life” to show how we can achieve a better state of being by keeping quiet. He also uses words like “Earth” and “nature” to show how we can learn from the natural world that is calm and balanced. 🌎

Therefore, based on these clues, we can give the answer to the question as follows: The poet means by “a sudden strangeness” in the poem a moment of silence and stillness that would be unusual and unexpected in our busy and noisy world. The poet imagines what would happen if we all stopped talking, moving, and working for one second, and how that would create a sense of wonder and connection among us. The “sudden strangeness” relates to the theme of the poem, which is the need for peace and harmony in our lives. ✍️

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