O dear white children casual as birds,

Playing among the ruined languages,

So small beside their large confusing words,

So gay against their greater silences

Of dreadful things you did . . .

--- from “Anthem for St. Cecilia’s Day,” W. H. Auden

Even though it is a Young Adult novel, Feed links itself to traditional English literature with this quotation from W. H. Auden that serves as the frontispiece of the book. This is an example of explicit literary allusion.

Task #4

Directions: Create a new section in your Google document entitled “Task #4” where you reflect upon the following question.

Now that you’ve read the first section of the novel, explain in a few concise sentences why Anderson excerpts this bit of Auden’s poetry. 

When you are through, click here.

If you’re interested in seeing the text of the entire poem, click here.