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?