1. "CHERRIES" - Chekhov’s short story “Gooseberries” is Stryk’s inspiration for this poem. Read a summary and analysis of “Gooseberries” at SparkNotes: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/chekhov/section8.rhtml. For the story itself, go here: http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/ac/gooseb.html.

2. "I" - Look at how often the speakers uses “I” in this short poem. What does that mean?

3. "PICK" -  Why is it significant that he didn’t pick the cherries. How many of us do pick our own cherries?

4. "GOES BAD" - What does it mean to “go bad” when referring to fruit and when referring to people?

5. "ELEVATOR TRACKS" - Stryk lived in Chicago whose transit system includes an elevated train. The “elevator tracks” might be referring to the sections of the train that are elevated.

6. "GRASPING" - Who is grasping? The narrator? The children? Both? Note the difference in why each are grasping.

7. "I MEAN TO" - By saying he wants and means to care, what does that tell us about his state of enlightenment, of his awareness of what’s going on in the world? Does this make his actions even more reprehensible? How is he reflective of the average experience/existence of people in America?

8. "BUT NOT YET" - After this phrase, he mentions the cherries left at the bottom of the bag. Does that mean he won’t care until he has nothing to give? Will that provide him with an excuse not to care – “I would give, but I have nothing myself” kind of thinking?

9. "BLEED" - What happens when we bite into or cut up cherries? How is this connected to bleeding?

10. "I NEED CHERRIES" - He doesn’t just “love” cherries – he “needs” them. What is the difference in the two feelings? And what do these cherries potentially represent in America?

11. "MY HAPPINESS BOUGHT CHEAP" - Why is it “bought cheap”?

12. "MUST LAST FOREVER" - What kind of life view seeks eternal happiness? How realistic is this?