Donald Hall has cited Edwin Muir's "The Horses" (1956) as an influence upon "Names of Horses." Read Muir's poem and then compare and contrast this portrayal of the horses to Hall's. Find correlations in the Hall poem for the following lines from Muir: "We had sold our horses in our fathers' time/To buy new tractors" and "Since then they have pulled our ploughs and borne our loads./But that free servitude still can pierce our hearts." How do the themes and tone of "The Horses" differ from that of "Names of Horses"?

Look at the paintings and prints of Currier and Ives or Grandma Moses, artists who took their inspiration from scenes of New England and rural life. Analyze a piece of your choosing, considering the subject the artists have chosen to portray. How realistically is the subject represented? How does an...