In The Hunger Games, what makes Katniss and Rue trust each other enough to become partners?

It is in Chapter Fifteen that the alliance between Katniss
and Rue is made. Let us remember, though, that it is also based on the fact that Rue has
already helped Katniss before by pointing out the tracker jacker nest that Katniss is
able to use with such devastating effect against the careers. Katniss clearly feels that
she is able to trust Rue, as she says when Rue asks her if she wants her for an
ally:

Why not?
You saved me with those tracker jackers. You're smart enough to still be alive. And I
can't seem to shake you
anyway.

Above all, Katniss is
drawn to form an alliance with Rue because she is a "survivor" and above all because she
reminds Katniss of Prim, her younger sister. Rue by nature is young and also looking for
somebody to look after her in this grim and brutal environment, and Katniss serves this
purpose for her. The two are drawn together by mutual sympathy and
openness.

What are the themes for To Kill A Mockingbird, anyone got some good ideas?

In addition to considering Scout's growth throughout the
novel, I think it's also important to consider the theme of maturity when it comes to
Jem. Jem not only matures physically, like Scout noticing hair growing on parts of Jem's
body, but his social and emotional maturity, as well. For example, Jem no longer wanting
to hang out with his little sister and instead opting to hang out with another boy like
Dill, his increasing moodiness and lessened tolerance for Scout, or his act of
comforting Scout the night of the fire at Miss Maudie's
house.

The theme of courage can also be a theme to
consider. There are varying examples and degrees of courage being shown throughout the
novel, from Jem going back to retreive his pants from the Radley yard to Mrs. Dubose
beating her addiction to morphine before she dies.

The
theme of prejudice, both racial and gender, is also very prevalent throughout the novel
and should be considered. The racial prejudice the African-Americans of the community
face on a daily basis is represented in the false accusations made against Tom Robinson.
The gender prejudice that tom-boyish Scout constanstly faces from her Aunt Alexandra and
sometimes Jem. Jem tells her several times she should act more like a "girl" and Aunt
Alexandra is always getting on Scout's case to dress and act more like one, as
well.

In Hamlet, examine how Hamlet's intellect overshadows his emotions and guides his decisions.

Hamlet tries to reason out whether or not his Uncle
Claudius actually did murder his father. Although he has seen his father's ghost, he
uses his intellectual reasoning. Perhaps, the ghost that he sees is an evil apparition.
Perhaps, the ghost is not really his father:

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Angels and ministers of grace defend
us!
Whether you are a spirit of health or a goblin damned,
Bringing
with you airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Whether your intentions are
wicked or charitable,
You come in such a questionable shape
That I
will speak to you. I’ll call you Hamlet!
King! Father! Royal Dane! O, answer
me! (Act 1, Scene 4)

From
this text, we can see that Hamlet is questioning whether the apparition is a spirit or a
goblin. He is using his intellect to reason out what he sees. He is overriding his
emotions and is trying to intellectually decide if the ghost is a true message from his
father.

Another time when Hamlet uses his intellectual
reasoning is when he has the actors reenact his father's murder. Hamlet wants to be sure
that his Uncle Claudius has indeed committed the murder. He is intellectually
questioning everything that has occurred, as he should. Hamlet speaks with Horatio and
asks him for his help:

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There is a play tonight before the
king.
One scene of it comes near the circumstances,
Which I have
told you, of my father's death.
I beg you, when you see that act
begin,
Even with the very criticism of your soul
Watch my uncle. If
his hidden guilt
Don’t show itself in that one speech,
It is a false
ghost that we have seen,
And my imaginations are as unstable
As god
of fire’s anvil. Watch him carefully,
Because I will have my eyes riveted on
his face,
And, after the play, we will combine our observations
In
condemning of his actions. (Act 3, Scene
2)

In this selection, we can
see that Hamlet is carefully thinking about a way to prove Claudius' guilt. Hamlet is
using careful reasoning. He is not sure that Claudius is guilty. After the actors
reenact his father's murder, Hamlet tells Horatio that they will meet and combine their
observations to determine Claudius' guilt. Clearly, Hamlet is not making a rash
decision. He is using clever thinking to determine if Claudius has indeed committed the
murder. Hamlet is not allowing his emotions to rule him. He is using careful reasoning
before actually condemning his Uncle Claudius.

In Fahrenheit 451, what is an example of man vs. nature and explain it please.

Man vs. Nature means that a person is dealing with
something in nature that could harm him, his family, or society. For example: a
hurricane could be a force of nature that could harm you, your family, or society. 
Another example might be a volcano.  Another one might be a storm at sea. The antagonist
is nature, and man has to overcome it and survive through
it.

When Montag escapes the Hound, he changes into Faber's
clothes, douses himself with liquor, and jumps into the river.  He finds the river very
comforting.

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"He floated on his back.....the river was very
real; it held him comfortably and gave him the time at last, the leisure, to consider
this month, this year, and a lifetime of years.  He listened to his heart slow.  His
thoughts stopped rushing with his blood." (pg
140)

However, when he reaches
the land, it is a different story. After he has floated a while, his heels scrap on the
pebbles of shore. He sees the land as a menacing
creature.

"He
looked in at the great black creature without eyes or light, without shape, with only a
size that went thousands of miles, without wanting to stop, with its grass hills and
forests that were waiting for him." (pg
141)

When he steps from the
river, he is overcome with fear.  The land is causing the fear.  It brings back memories
of a fearful childhood incident.

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"The land rushed at him, a tidal wave.  He was
crushed by darkness and the look of the country and the million odors on the wind that
iced his body.  He fell back under the breaking curve of darkness and sound and smell. 
He whirled......He wanted to plunge in the river again and let it idle him safely on
down somewhere.  This dark land rising was like that day in his childhood, swimming,
when from nowhere the largest wave in the history of remembering slammed him down in
salt mud and green darkness, water burning mouth and nose, retching his stomach,
screaming!  Too much water!

Too much land."
(pg143)

He sees two eyes in
the darkness, and he thought it was the Hound.  He gave a last loud shout, and the eyes
exploded and were gone.  It was a deer.  He then started walking and was filled with all
the scents of the earth.  Suddenly his fear
diminished.

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"He stood breathing, and the more he breathed the
land in, the more he was filled up with all the details of the land.  He was not empty.
There was more than enough here to fill him.  There would always be more than enough."
(pg144)

However, his greatest
comfort comes when he finds something manmade; railroad
tracks.

"Here
was the path to wherever he was going.  Here was the single familiar thing, the magic
charm he might need a little while, to touch, to feel beneath his feet as he moved on
into the bramble bushes and the lake of smelling and feeling and touching, among the
whispers and the blowing down of leaves." (pg
145)

It was the fear of the
unknown, of what those forest and hills could offer him. He was unfamiliar with the land
and he had no idea how to survive.  He was terrified.

How do you explain Lula's antagonism towards Jem and Scout?

This is an important question, because it shows that
racism goes both ways. In other words, it is clear that there is racism against blacks
in Maycomb, but we also see that racism exists among the black community against
whites.

When Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to church,  not
all people are happy about this. Lula is a prime example. She is upset that white
people, even if they are children, are in a black church. Here is the dialogue between
her and Calpurnia:

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When Lula came up the pathway toward us
Calpurnia said, “Stop right there, nigger.”

Lula stopped,
but she said, “You ain’t got no business bringin‘ white chillun here —they got their
church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss
Cal?”

Calpurnia said, “It’s the same God, ain’t
it?”

Jem said, “Let’s go home, Cal, they don’t want us
here—”

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This
shows that the default mode for most people is racism. There are only a few good people
in Maycomb, who are able to rise above the hatred. Calpurnia is one them, as is
Atticus. 

In Volpone, how is the theme of metamorphosis related to Volpone and other characters?

Clearly the shape-changing properties of Volpone and other
characters is something that is a vital part of the play as a whole, and is inextricably
intertwined with the theme of deception. If we examine the various examples in the play,
we can see that disguise is sometimes used to conceal, as in the case of Peregine's
gulling of Sir Politic Would-be. However, metamorphosis can also be used to yield
insights into character that are not apparent at first from the "normal" appearance of a
character. This is of course most relevant in Volpone's case, who reveals more of his
vibrancy in his disguise of Scoto Mantua. Most interestingly however, when we think
about the theme of metamorphosis, is the way that assuming and changing identity so much
seems to have a profound impact on character. Changing character so often is shown to
have a definite impact on identity, as is shown by the way that the various guises of
Volpone and Mosca catch up with them in Act V, when their fake identities threaten to
overwhelm their true identities. One of the most poignant moments in the play comes when
Volpone reveals himself, saying "I am Volpone." However, having seen him change through
so many metamorphoses, we as the audience are left wondering who Volpone actually is any
more, as his repeated transformations appeared to have somewhat distilled his character.
It is important to note that the two characters who remain true to themselves are the
two good characters in the play, Celia and Bonario, suggesting the way in which
metamorphoses and disguise are linked to evil.

What are Tom Robinson's attitudes, values, beliefs and lessons learned in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The most sympathetic character in To Kill a
Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a God-fearing family man who is accused of a
crime he did not commit. Despite his crippled arm, Tom is a hard worker, as his boss,
Link Deas, attests to in court. He is apparently highly regarded among the black
population of Maycomb, since the members of his church take up a collection to help his
family while he is behind bars; additionally, they turn out in great numbers to support
him during the trial. When Tom takes the stand, we find that he is soft-spoken and
humble. His polite and reverent testimony is a stark contrast to the volatile words
spewed by Bob and Mayella Ewell. Thinking he was only being a helpful, friendly neighbor
to the needy Mayella, Tom was lured into the Ewell home only for her own sexual urges.
Tom must have known that entering the Ewell household could be hazardous, but his own
good nature overruled his common sense. He thought he was coming to her aid, hoping to
provide Mayella with a helping hand, not realizing her true intentions. On the
stand, Tom admits that he felt sorry for Mayella: This is probably his biggest
mistake--a black man feeling compassion for a white woman.

What is the fluid mosaic model? Could I get a brief description, please?

The fluid mosaic model is an interpretation of cell
membrane structure. It was proposed in the early 1970s by S.J. Singer and Garth
Nicolson. The fluid mosaic model says that cell membranes are composed of a double layer
of lipids with associated proteins. The lipid bilayer, as it is commonly referred to,
has a back to back structure - in the outer layer the hydrophilic heads of the lipid
molecules are oriented outward, and in the inner layer they are oriented
inward.

A variety of proteins are attached to and embedded
in the lipid bilayer. The attached, or peripheral, proteins include identifiers, hormone
receptors, and immune proteins. The embedded proteins create transport passageways for
the many different molecules that need to be moved into and out of the cell. The "fluid"
part of the term comes from the belief that the proteins are able to flow and move
around in the membrane.

The YouTube link below has a nice
animation that may help you to picture the fluid mosiac structure more
clearly.

What evidence is there that Lady Macbeth is not as strong as she would like to believe in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth fulfills her role among the nobility and is
well respected like Macbeth. King Duncan calls her "our honored hostess." She is loving
to her husband but at the same time very ambitious, as shown by her immediate
determination for Macbeth to be king. This outcome will benefit her and her husband
equally. She immediately concludes that "the fastest way" for Macbeth to become king is
by murdering King Duncan.

The almost superhuman strength
Lady Macbeth rallies for the occasion and her artful and sly ability are shown through
her meticulous attention to detail regarding the murder. When Macbeth returns to their
chamber she goes back to the murder scene and cleverly smears the grooms with Duncan's
blood. However, her morals had prevailed just a while before as revealed through her
comment that she would have killed Duncan herself had he not "resembled [her] father as
he slept."

Perhaps Lady Macbeth felt that suppressing her
conscience for the deed was enough and that later the thought of the deed would just
dissipate. The outcome is not this way, though, because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth often
cannot go to sleep, and if they do, they experience terrifying dreams. But still, Lady
Macbeth is able to maintain her sanity and composure during the day, even more than her
husband. She urges him to be light hearted and merry. Once she practically rescues
Macbeth from the frailty of his own conscience. When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost she
creates an excuse to explain his odd behavior. She attempts to chasten Macbeth by again
questioning his manhood. When the situation grows worse though, she takes charge once
more and promptly dismisses the lords from the
feast.

Later, though, the burden of Lady Macbeth's
conscience becomes too great for her and her mental and physical condition deteriorates.
A gentlewoman observes her sleepwalking and consults a doctor. The doctor and the lady
observe Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, madly trying to cleanse her hands of the blood of
Duncan and Macduff's family. Still in her sleep, Lady Macbeth asks, "what, will these
hands ne're be clean?" foreseeing that she will never have peace of mind. She also
retells events of the day Duncan was murdered. The doctor tells the gentlewoman that
what Lady Macbeth needs is spiritual and not physical help.

Lady
Macbeth's condition worsens, and she goes in and out of sleep with delirious visions.
Macbeth asks the doctor to cure her or give her a drug that will erase the troubles of
the heart. The doctor responds that he cures physical not moral problems. Later, as the
battle ensues outside of Dunsinane, by unspecified means Lady Macbeth commits
suicide.

At the beginning Lady Macbeth finds strength to entice
Macbeth to murder Duncan and to follow through with the murder herself. As time advances
though, her pretended strength diminishes as she fights the torments of her conscience.
Tending to her conscience engulfs and destabilizes her so that she can not support
Macbeth against Malcolm. Lady Macbeth's attempts to suppress her conscience fail. At the
end she chooses death because she can no longer bear the torments of her
guilt.

To quote Bradley, ‘Lady Macbeth is
perhaps the most awe- inspiring figure that Shakespeare ever drew. Sharing certain
traits with her husband, she is at once clearly distinguised from him by an
inflexibility of will, which appears to hold imagination, feeling and conscience
completely in check.

Why might a reader question the governess' credibility?

Henry James's The Turn of the Screw
is a much-discussed work of literature.  Many critics label it as a ghost story, while
others believe that the governess's sightings of Quint and Miss Jessel are merely
hallucinations.

Those who question the governess's
credibility do so on the premise that her hallucinations are products of her infatuation
with the (absent) employer who has left her in charge of his niece and nephew--and who
has told her that she is not to trouble him with news regarding their behavior, academic
progress, etc.

When the governess first meets her employer,
she observes that he is

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a gentleman, a bachelor in the prime of life,
such a figure as had never risen, save in a dream or an old novel, before a fluttered,
anxious girl out of a Hampshire
vicarage.

This description
suggests that the governess has some degree of physical attraction to the children's
uncle.  Further, the governess is often described as "young" and "nervous," both of
which are characteristics that might make the theory that her visions of ghosts are
hallucinations more believable.

Literary critic Ryan
Poquette notes that the governess frequently daydreams about "meeting someone," and that
the employer's absence--and further, his insistence that the governess never contact
him--has a great impact on the governess's state of mind.  In expecting to see her
employer in front of her, as a product of her daydream, the governess is shocked to see
the image of Quint on the tower:

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Her conscious mind is asking for the appearance
of the master so that she can show him how good she is being and perhaps be rewarded.
But it is the deeper, subconscious mind, freshly affected from all of her thoughts about
how she wants to prove herself to the master, that precipitates the "ghostly" vision. In
her mind, the governess is creating a challenge for herself, something that is greater
than merely following the master's orders and something that will perhaps yield a
greater reward, once the master sees how she has been
victorious.

Again, there is
no clear interpretation of James's The Turn of the Screw.  However,
there is much textual evidence to support the theory that the governess's credibility
should be questioned.

In Great Expectations, Estella says to Pip,"suffering has been stronger than all other teaching." How does suffering teach Estella and Pip?

"I little
thought," said Estella, "that I should take leave of you in taking leave of this spot. I
am very glad to do so."

"Glad to part again, Estella? To
me, parting is a painful thing. To me, the remembrance of our last parting has been ever
mournful and painful."

"But you said to me," returned
Estella, very earnestly, "'God bless you, God forgive you!' And if you could say that to
me then, you will not hesitate to say that to me now,—now, when
suffering has been stronger than all other
teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used
to be. I have been bent and broken, but—I hope—into a better shape. Be as considerate
and good to me as you were, and tell me we are
friends."

"We are friends," said I, rising and bending over
her, as she rose from the
bench.

The context of
Estella's quote is her surprise meeting with Pip in the rising "evening mist" at Satis
House. They have both come to bid farewell to the ruinous remains of Miss Havisham's
home. Estella proves to Pip by her touch, no longer "insensible," by her tear in "the
first rays of the moonlight," and by her admission of "remembrance of what I had thrown
away when I was quite ignorant of its worth," that suffering has taught her compassion,
humility and humanity.

Estella is no longer the proud
beauty. Her broken physical beauty is a symbol for her broken inner beauty. Suffering
has left its traces upon her. Still Pip says “the freshness of her beauty was indeed
gone, … [but] its indescribable majesty and ... charm remained." This is similarly true
for her inner character: while the haughty pride and disdain for human tenderness is
gone, the true character of Estella remains and has surfaced to reveal its
humanity.

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Those attractions in it, I had seen before; what
I had never seen before, was the saddened, softened light of the once proud eyes; what I
had never felt before was the friendly touch of the once insensible
hand.

Pip had learned a
similar and parallel lesson when he learned to accept and appreciate Magwitch as his
benefactor and a reformed man; when Pip himself learned a humility that did not come as
a lesson at Miss Havisham's knee.

In The Crucible, why does Elizabeth Proctor fire Abigail?

Elizabeth fires Abigail because she knows that the girl
and her husband were having an affair.  It is the source of all the trouble that brews
in Salem.  In exchange for being fired, Abigail and the girls dance naked in the woods,
while she drinks a potion concocted by Tituba as an attempt to "remove" Elizabeth so
that she can be with John Proctor.

It is shared early on in
the drama that Abigail bears resentment for being "sent out" by Elizabeth.  She says so
the first moment she and John are alone in the second scene of the first
Act:

I know
how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come
near!  Or did I dream that?  It's she [Elizabeth] put me out, you cannot pretend it were
you.  I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved then and you do
now!

There is resentment that
Abigail feels for being fired by Elizabeth.  However, it is clear that there was an
affair between the both of them.  In this, Elizabeth acts in the name of her
marriage.

We get some level of insight in to Elizabeth's
motivation for firing Abigail from her own words.  In the first scene of Act II, it is
alluded that she knew of the relationship and the feelings that John harbored for the
girl and might still.  When she suggests that "the magistrate" in John's heart "sits in
judgment," we get the idea that the firing was needed in order to begin the process of
moral reconciliation, something that is still ongoing in the early phases of the
drama.

The courtroom scene of Act III brings us the most
direct words from Elizabeth as to why she had to fire Abigail.  She is summoned at the
point where Proctor has confessed to his adultery with Abigail, in the attempt to
discredit her and the accusations that have escalated to an out of control condition. 
Danforth "forces" her to disclose the reason why Abigail was
fired:

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Danforth:  Why did you dismiss Abigail
Williams?

Elizabeth:  She dissatisfied me.
(Pause) And my husband.

Danforth:  In
what way dissatisfied you?

Elizabeth:  She were...Your
honor, I- in that time I was sick.  And I- My husband is a good and righteous man.  He
is never drunk as some are, nor wastin' his time at the shovelboard, but always at  his
work.  But in my sickness- you see, sir, I were a long time sick after my last bby, and
I thought I saw my husband somewhat turning from me.  And this girl- (She
turns to
Abigail.)

This is
the closes that Elizabeth comes from admitting that the reason for the dismissal was
because of the affair.  It is at this critical moment, her "crucible" as it were, does
Elizabeth turn from the truth and lie in court that her husband did not have an affair,
something that he already confessed in public.  Demonstrating how a corrupt legal system
can hardly be trusted in finding the truth, Elizabeth's real reason for dismissing
Abigail was for the affair with her husband remains in her heart and is not spoken into
the legal record.

What is the most relevant message in Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz?

I think that Horwitz's most compelling message to come out
of his work is to bring attention to how historical reality impacts modern reality.
 This is a complex process and one cannot dismiss it as simply "relics of the past."  I
think that this becomes one of the most important elements of the book.  Horwitz is
seeking to bring out how historical reality impacts the daily existence of so many and
that this process is complex and intricate.  For Northern and Southern Whites, the Civil
War means a great deal in terms of what it means for elements such as states rights, the
purpose of fighting, as well as its basic representation.  Horwitz's exploration is
living proof of how "the past is not dead," and how it "might not even be past."  When
Horwitz explores the condition of young African- Americans towards the Civil War, one
recognizes how history is vibrant and a life force that helps to explain modern reality.
 Historical consciousness is not an easy element, a process of understanding that is, at
times, uncomfortable and far from clear.  It is this point that Horwitz brings out in
his work and forces the reader to understand and assess regarding the Civil War, and
history, in general.

Why are computers sometimes refered to as superhumans?

Computers have been compared to humans in many ways.  In
terms of ability to store information and retrieve it on demand, computers can do so
with blazing speed and accuracy compared to humans.  In this regard computers have been
referred to as super-humans.

Compared to humans, computers
are poor performers, however,  when it comes to analytical thought, analysis of complex
concepts, recognition of subtleties in language, complex pattern recognition, and so
forth.

As an example, a human is able to recognize a
friend's face in an instant.  Computer facial recognition programs take seconds to
minutes to do so...and not always accurately.  Similarly, humans can identify a friend
or family member by such subtle things as their gait or posture, whereas it is doubtful
a computer could be trained to do this.

Computers have no
ability to experience or act on emotions…something that humans do every
day.

The attribution of human qualities to computers, and
endeavors to build computers with human abilities falls within the field of artificial
intelligence (see reference).  Probably the most renowned and successful project in this
field has been the creation by IBM of Watson, a supercomputer that can play the game
“Jeopardy!”

Watson recently defeated the two most
successful Jeopardy players, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter.

How is Gene dynamic (how does he change from the beginning of the book to the end of the book)?

Gene's relationship with Finny changes frequently through
the story, as Gene analyzes and reacts to situations, comments, and actions he observes.
Gene considers himself and Finny to be best friends and comrades in all that is good and
positive (including stirring up trouble and finding ways to get out of punishment) when
the story starts.

As time goes by, Gene's feelings change
and he becomes jealous of the ease with which Finny accomplishes so many of the feats
that are important in a boys school. Gene is determined to become the top student to
place himself on equal footing with Finny, the unquestioned best athlete in the school,
and is even more threatened when he realizes Finny doesn't see any competition or threat
in Gene's academic accomplishment. Gene's impulsive reaction to this realization is to
retaliate by causing Finny to fall out of the tree. In the aftermath, Gene finally comes
to understand that there was only the competition that he imagined in his own mind,
"that wars were made...by something ignorant in the human
heart."

What is Granger's logic on books in Fahrenheit 451?Granger is one of the men he met by the railroads.

Granger was a librarian in his "former" life, before he
punched a fireman who came burn his library and he has had to live on the run ever
since.

For Granger, books are not only the cumulative
record of man's successes and mistakes, but it is the way in which society can be
rebuilt after the wars, after the dictatorships fall.

When
he asks Montag what he has brought with him, Montag sheepishly admits he thinks he has
some Ecclesiastes and Revelations, books of the Bible, but fears he has lost even
those.  Granger and friends have come up with a way to retrieve everything a man has
ever read, and once it is safe, they will reprint the books from memory, or pass them on
to their children until it is safe to do so.

How does Laura's mother uses events to move her daughter from a mildly rebellious aduolesence to a young-womanhood that does not question the...

I think that there are a couple of assumptions that are
presented in the question that might need to be fleshed out a bit.  The first would be
that Laura does not question the Status Quo.  I am not entirely certain that Laura
becomes an apologist for the Status Quo at the end of the story.  Mansfield's gift is to
make the ending so complex and intricate that there is only room for debate and
discussion.  Yet, I don't see Laura as someone who "does not question" the Status Quo. 
I think that she is one who has experienced something profound with seeing death,
contrasting it with life, and seeking to understand her own conception of self within
such a dynamic. Yet, I don't see her as someone who has abandoned her sense of rebellion
or questioning.  Rather, I think that she is working towards formulating some level of
articulation regarding the profound nature of being in the world and how this connects
all human beings.

I think that the second premise that
might have to be debated is the role and function of Laura's mother.  Laura's mother
might have a role in seeing her daughters plan the garden party, but it seems to me that
this is it in terms of what she desires.  Laura's mother is not one concerned with the
idea of seeing her daughter's emotional transformation as being the center of her
being.  She is more concerned with the idea of the garden party and how it will come
about through her daughters.  I think that her suggestion to take flowers to the dead
man's widow is a gesture to Laura in order to move her from cancelling the garden party.
Yet, I don't see her character as existing in anything more than the party's
realization.

Besides looking at the subject matter of poems, describe what additional subject matter you would suggest as possible writing topics for poems?

It sounds like you are wondering how to write about or
"analyze" poetry.  Depending on the specifics of your assignment, I can provide a couple
of ideas.

First, you can look at the purpose or meaning of
the poem.  This means thinking about both the author and
the intended audience, as well as the technical elements of the poem.  Technical
elements includes things beyond the subject (or theme) of the poem, like images,
figurative language, the speaker (or voice), or symbolism.  You can also analyze
structure and sound elements.  As you analyze any of these elements, you can tie them
back to the main subject of the poem to help you determine their
meaning (or the author's
purpose).

Second, you can react personally to the poem. 
Talk about what appealed to you and why.  Whether you experience an emotional reaction
or not, it is always appropriate to relate ideas/details in the text to personal
experiences, observations, or other things you've read.  This is why literature is such
an organic and sustainable subject.  Though the texts may not change, the reader does,
and discussion of reaction and application is why we continue to explore the written
arts.

The most important thing I tell my students when
reading poetry, is not to "shut down" and simply say, "I don't get it."  Pick one thing
you think you understand and build from that.

How does the main character plan the crime in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

The narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" plans the murder of
the old man very carefully, but as is often the case, even the best laid plans can go
awry. During the week before the planned murder, the narrator treated the old man better
than ever in order to put him at ease. Each evening at midnight, the narrator carefully
and quietly opened the old man's bedroom door, and very slowly put his head inside--so
slowly that

It
took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as
he lay upon his bed.

The man
was careful that no light shone inside, so the bedroom was completely dark. Just as
stealthily, the man allowed a single ray of light to shine from the lantern onto the old
man's "evil eye." Each of the first seven nights, the eye was closed, and the narrator
refused to commit his evil deed without the eye being opened. But on the eighth night,
the man stirred as the narrator slowly worked the knob of the door. When his head was
finally inside, the patient narrator's "thumb slipped upon the tin fastening" of the
lantern, and the old man awoke. For an hour, the narrator waited silently before
allowing a thin ray of light to settle upon the evil eye. This time it was open, and the
narrator made his move: Dragging the old man from the bed to the floor, the narrator
suffocated him before dismembering the corpse.