Read Rita Dove's poem "Teach Us to Number Our Days" at the Poetry Foundation website and

answer the following in an essay of at least four paragraphs:

Describe the scene in the poem. What kind of neighborhood does the poem depict? Is it a pleasant or

unpleasant place, and why? What do the phrases "slim blue bullet" (4), " blue bean"(8), and black tie"(12)

mean? What is the overall message of the poem? Explain the last line and the title. Is your neighborhood

like this? Why or why not?

What is the significance of the above statement in relation to the play’s conclusion? oedipus treats his inferiors poorly but ultimately grants them the same respect he grants to nobility. while teiresias appears to be mocking oedipus, the real message is one of warning about the forces working against the king. oedipus earns great fame for answering the riddle of the sphinx but ultimately loses his crown to a common man. just as oedipus is unable to conceive that he has done wrong in the past, he is unable to imagine that his enviable position is impermanent.