Match the stanza with its meaning.

STANZA MEANING

STANZA 1
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?
There's nothing in her bed but an old
rag-doll
And by its side a shoe.
STANZA 2
Why is her window wide, mother,
The curtain flapping free,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
Where her money-box used to be?

STANZA 3
Why do you turn your head, mother,
And why do tear drops fall?
And why do you crumple that note on
the fire
And say it is nothing at all?
STANZA 4
I woke to voices late last night,
I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard
Were a dream and nothing more?
STANZA 5
I heard somebody cry, mother,
In anger or in pain,
But now I ask you why, mother,
You say it was a gust of rain.
STANZA 6
Why do you wander about as though
You don't know what to do?
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?
The persona (the child) is asking his mother what has happened to
his sister, Lulu. The persona is close to her sister and so she calls her
“Lu”. Lulu is not on her bed. Only her rag doll is there. There is also a
shoe beside her bed. This suggests that Lulu left in a hurry.
The persona asking the mother again why the window in Lulu’s
bedroom open wide that cause the curtain flapping in the wind.
Lulu’s money box is also missing and leaving a circle mark on the
dusty shelf.
The persona also asking her mother why she turns her head away.
She asks why the mother is crying. She also notices that her mother
has thrown a crumple note into the fire. However, the mother is still
keeping silent.
The persona tells her mother that she heard voices and the sound of
a car the night before. The persona is asking her mother why she says
what she heard were only in her dream.
The persona tells her mother that she also heard someone cry in
anger or in pain. But when she asks her mother, she says it is just the
sound of the rain.
The persona is asking her mother why she is walking or moving
aimlessly as if she is nervous, worried and in panic. Again, the
persona is asking her mother about Lulu.