Worksheet for analyzing and writing a poem inspired by Helmholtz from "Brave New World."

Let’s break this down step by step.

We’re working with two poems:
1. Helmholtz’s “inappropriate” poem (the one on the left).
2. A new, “appropriate” poem we need to write for him (on the right).

First, let’s analyze Helmholtz’s poem using the chart on the left side of the worksheet.

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Step 1: Speaker / Point of View
Who is speaking? The speaker seems to be someone observing strange, quiet, empty places — maybe a person walking through a city at night or in a dreamlike state. They mention “Susan’s absence” and “Egeria’s arms,” which suggests they’re thinking about people who are gone. So the speaker is likely a lonely or thoughtful person reflecting on loss or emptiness.

→ *Speaker*: A reflective, possibly sad observer noticing silence and absence in urban spaces.

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Step 2: Subject
What is the poem mostly about? It talks about broken drums, flutes in vacuum, shut lips, sleeping faces, stepped machines, littered places, crowds that have left, silences rejoicing, weeping, speaking with unknown voices, absences, forming presences slowly, absurd essence, something that isn’t there but should populate empty nights more solidly than sex… and ends with “Why should it seem so squiddily?”

This is abstract! But the main subject seems to be emptiness, absence, loneliness, and the weirdness of trying to fill voids with things that don’t really work — like propaganda or shallow connections.

→ *Subject*: The feeling of emptiness and the strange, unsatisfying ways people try to fill it.

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Step 3: Tone
Tone = how the speaker feels as shown by word choice. Words like “broken,” “vacuum,” “shut,” “sleeping,” “littered,” “dumb,” “weep,” “absurd,” “squiddily” — these are negative, confused, frustrated, even disgusted words.

→ *Tone*: Confused, frustrated, melancholic, slightly disgusted or unsettled.

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Step 4: Mood
Mood = what emotions the reader feels. Reading this poem makes you feel uneasy, lonely, puzzled, maybe a little creeped out (“squiddily” is a weird word!). You might feel like something is off, missing, or wrong.

→ *Mood*: Uneasy, lonely, mysterious, unsettling.

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Step 5: Theme
Theme = big message or feeling. What’s the deeper idea? Maybe:
- Trying to fill emotional holes with fake or shallow things doesn’t work.
- Absence can feel heavier than presence.
- Propaganda (or forced happiness) fails when real human feelings are ignored.

→ *Theme*: True connection and meaning can’t be faked — emptiness remains if we ignore real emotion.

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Step 6: Featured Elements
Look for poetic tools:
- Imagery: “broken drum,” “flutes in a vacuum,” “shut lips,” “stepped machine,” “littered places” → very visual, industrial, cold images.
- Sound devices: Rhyme scheme? Not strict, but some end rhymes: “drum/City”, “faces/places”, “rejoice/voice”, “know/Susan’s”, “bows/posteriors”, “presence/essence”, “not/solidly”, “copulate/squiddily”. Some slant rhymes too.
- Figurative language: “silences rejoice” (personification), “form a presence” from absence (paradox), “squiddily” (made-up word for effect).
- Poetic form: Free verse, irregular lines, conversational but strange.

→ *Featured Elements*: Vivid imagery, personification, paradox, invented words, loose rhyme, free verse.

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Now, why would the College of Emotional Engineering find this poem subversive?

In Brave New World, the government wants everyone happy, calm, obedient, and distracted — no deep sadness, no questioning, no loneliness. This poem dwells on absence, pain, confusion, and weirdness — all things the society tries to erase. It admits that people feel empty and that their solutions (like sex or propaganda) don’t fix it. That’s dangerous to the system!

→ *Why subversive?* Because it shows unhappiness, questions societal norms, and refuses to pretend everything is fine.

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Now, let’s create an appropriate title for Helmholtz’s poem.

It needs to capture the mood and theme — maybe something like:

→ *“The Weight of Empty Nights”*
or
*“Absence That Won’t Go Away”*
or
*“Why Does Nothing Feel Real?”*

But since the last line is “Why should it seem so squiddily?”, maybe play off that:

→ *“Squiddily Empty”* — quirky, matches tone.

Or better yet, since it’s about failed attempts to fill voids:

→ *“Filling Holes With Smoke”*

I think “The Squid in the Vacuum” could work — combines “squiddily” + “flutes in a vacuum” — weird, memorable, fits the tone.

Wait — actually, looking again: the poem mentions “flutes in a vacuum” and ends with “squiddily.” So combining those:

→ Final Title Suggestion: “Flutes in a Vacuum (And Other Squiddy Things)”

But maybe simpler: “Empty Places Feel Squiddily”

Actually, let’s go with:
→ “Why Is Emptiness So Squiddily?”

That uses his own word and captures the confusion.

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Now, for the second part: Write a poem the Bureaux of Propaganda would accept.

They want poems that make people feel good, loyal, calm, satisfied — no sadness, no questioning, no weirdness.

So our new poem should:
- Be upbeat
- Praise society
- Celebrate conformity, pleasure, stability
- Use simple, clear language
- Avoid ambiguity or dark imagery

Let’s pick a subject they’d like:
→ “Happy Citizens Enjoying Their Perfect Day”

Title: “Perfect Days Are Made for Us”

Now fill in the chart for the new poem:

Speaker / Point of View: A cheerful citizen praising the World State.

Subject: How great life is under the system — everyone happy, no problems, fun activities, perfect health.

Tone: Joyful, grateful, confident, enthusiastic.

Mood: Uplifting, safe, content, proud.

Theme: Happiness comes from following the rules and enjoying what’s given — no need to question or seek more.

Featured Elements: Simple rhyme (AABB or ABCB), bright imagery (sunshine, laughter, games, soma), repetition for emphasis, positive diction (“joy,” “peace,” “fun,” “together”).

Example poem (short version):

> Sunshine warms each smiling face,
> Games and friends fill every space.
> No one cries, no one complains,
> Soma soothes away all pains.
> We are glad, we are free,
> Living just as we should be!
> Thank the Controllers, thank the plan —
> Perfect days for every man!

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Now answer the top questions:

What would be an appropriate title for Helmholtz’s poem?
→ “Why Is Emptiness So Squiddily?”

Why does the College of Emotional Engineering find this poem subversive?
→ Because it expresses sadness, confusion, and dissatisfaction — emotions the society tries to eliminate. It suggests that propaganda and pleasure aren’t enough to fix real human loneliness, which threatens social control.

Choose a Subject. What subjects might the Bureaux of Propaganda find acceptable?
→ Subjects like: community celebrations, enjoyment of leisure activities, gratitude for the World State, praise of stability and happiness, success of conditioning, joy of consumption and entertainment.

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Final Answer:

Appropriate title for Helmholtz’s poem:
“Why Is Emptiness So Squiddily?”

Why the College finds it subversive:
Because it reveals unhappiness, questions the effectiveness of propaganda, and focuses on loneliness and absurdity — all threats to the controlled, happy society.

Acceptable subjects for Bureaux of Propaganda:
Celebrations of group harmony, praises of the World State, descriptions of joyful leisure, thanks for stability and pleasure, stories of successful conditioning.

New Poem Title:
“Perfect Days Are Made for Us”

New Poem Analysis Chart (Right Side):

- Speaker / Point of View: A happy, loyal citizen
- Subject: Life is perfect because of the World State
- Tone: Cheerful, thankful, confident
- Mood: Safe, joyful, content
- Theme: True happiness comes from accepting society’s gifts
- Featured Elements: Simple rhyme, bright imagery, repetition, positive words

*(Poem written above)*