Why did Frost choose to tell the stories of the characters in poetry? Why do the teen characters speak in sestinas before moving on to a crown of sonnets? Why do the adult characters always use a sonnet form?

What does poetry have to do with the expression of inner emotions? How do the characters utilize verse to share their mixed feelings and emotions, and how might this be less effective if presented in prose?

The poems in the book contain myriad symbols. Identify a few of the symbols and discuss what they represent and how that symbol transcends the poem and relates to the entire story. The “slots” symbol appears in Part 2, Chapter 13, but how does “slots” apply to Part 1 and Part 8?