1.  Describe the subtle changes in setting and analyze how these shifts reveal Eve’s fall from grace.

The subtle changes in setting lead to Eve’s eventual fall by starting off with her innocence and than eventually leading to her disgrace-which ends up being a trap by Satan.  At first Eve is alone picking fruit in the garden.  Disguised as a serpent, Satan is awaiting Eve’s arrival alone.  He then persuades her to the second setting which is “Down the dark path to / the Blasphemous Tree”.  Here, Eve eats the forbidden fruit.  The next setting Eve is crying outside the orchard because she ate the forbidden fruit.  The last setting Satan is celebrating under the hill.

2.  How does the poem’s diction contribute to tone and meaning?  Consider the use of adjectives, verbs, and participles.  Look for patterns, contrasts, and surprising juxtapositions of words.

The poem’s diction contributes to the tone and meaning by using words such as “wading, whispered, pitied, crying” and the way Eve is described when she wades, picks fruit, wonder, and listens.  By using these specific words for Eve we can see her innocence and naiveness.  The reader pitties her for not being able to overcome Satans control over her.  Words such as “dark, Blasphemous, hated, and haunting” are words that can be used to describe Satan.  Satan is evil and and corrupt and the reader can see that through his evil ways and manipulations over Eve. 

3.  Consider the poet’s use of figurative language.  How does the choice of comparisons influence tone and meaning?

Comparisons such as “Mute as a mouse in a / Corner the cobra lay” which compares Satan to a mouse shows that he appears to be harmless and quite but he is really evil and has bad intentions on his interaction with Eve.  Eve is easily persuaded and Satan takes advantage of that.  The mood created is that of the sweetness of Eve but then Satan the seducer who intends on ruining sweet Eve.

4.  Describe the meter, line length, and pattern of enjambment.  What does the rhythm continue to the mod of the poem?

The meter is dactyllic.  The enjambed lines are mostly the short lines.  Each stanza contains just one sentence.  The enjambment and rhythm of the poem create a mood that is sort of the opposite of the meaning of the poem.  The structure of the poem has a dancing beat which would make one think that every thing is going well but in fact the meaning of the poem is quite the opposite.

5.  Describe the use of repetition and rhyme.  Look for patterns.  What does the repetition contribute tot he mood of the poem?

The repetition and rhyme of the poem provide extra details to the poem as a whole.  The poem repeats key words such as sweet and grass shows the qualities of Eve and creates an effect on what Satan does to her.  The repetition contributes to the mood of the poem that Eve is manipulated by Satan and her innocence shows through while Satan’s evil shows.