1. Discuss how The Lesson, Where Children Live, and Sestina portray childhood. What does childhood seem to mean in each work? How does each portray the experience of being a child? Do you think these portrayals of childhood are realistic? Why or why not? Be sure to quote from each work, and discuss specific images, symbols, or metaphors as you clarify your answers
2. Consider your own childhood as a story: to what extent is the child you in any way the current you? Are we different, both physically and psychologically from our own child selves?
Is there a way in literature to have a child character that is purely child like?
Consider Peter Pan as an example: is he a child or another being entirely?
3. Consider "Sestina" by Elizabeth Bishop.
Is there a "child" in this poem? How do you know? Are literary children different from ourselves as actual children? Or perhaps your children?
Explain in your own words the meaning of this poem. What does it make you feel and why? Use the actual words/lines of the poem to support your analysis.