(1) Determine from Tate’s verse his concept of the Southerner and the South’s purpose in retaining traditions, rituals, and customs dating to days of glory.
(2) Compare Tate’s “Ode to the Confederate Dead” with other modern verse rich in fragmentary chaos, particularly that of Hart Crane.
(3) Discuss the imagery of branches and leaves in “Ode to the Confederate Dead.” What do the branches and leaves symbolize?
(4) Contrast Tate’s regional images in “The Swimmers” with similarly localized word pictures in the verse of Joy Harjo and James A. Wright.
