1. Do you think the photo essay and poem have the same target audience? Why?

2. Which medium would likely appeal to a wider audience?

3. Why do you think these particular photographs were chosen for the photo essay? Explain how the photographs, viewed together, have a meaning that is not necessarily the same when viewed separately. (Basically how does seeing them one after the other help to paint a picture that viewing only one of the photos does not?)

4. Identify the metaphor Ríos uses in lines 6–7. Explain why the author might have used this particular metaphor and how it relates to the subject matter.

5. How does the poem’s narrative differ from the experience presented by the photo essay?

6. Identify places in the poem where the author mentions other people’s reactions to the memorial. (Just list the line numbers) 6a. How do these descriptions compare to photographs of individuals viewing the wall?

7. How does the author reveal the identity of the poem’s speaker? What can readers learn about the speaker from the poem?

8. Look back at the poem and the photo essay and explain how the order of ideas progresses in both works.