Consider Hugo's assumptions as listed in Chapter 3. How is it possible for Hugo to deal with such conflicting assumptions in his poetry?

Explore the ways in which Hugo's life experiences affected his poetry and how he used these experiences to write good poems.

Discuss Hugo's view of praise. Do you think praise ruins the poet? Why or why not?

Consider Hugo's view that having too much knowledge of the details of an event, such as the eviction in Chapter 9, keeps a poet from doing good work. Do you agree with his opinion? Why or why not?

In Chapter 8 Hugo includes a poem by the name of Index. After the poem, Hugo indicates that he doesn't even understand the material of the poem anymore. It is more important to understand the meaning of a poem, or the emotion the poet hoped to convey to the...