I am part of a lost generation.And I refuse to believe thatI can change the world.I realize this may be a shock, but“Happiness comes from within”Is a lie, and“Money will make me happy”So in thirty years, I will tell my childrenThey are not the most important thing in my life.My employer will know thatI have my priorities straight becauseWorkIs more important thanFamilyI tell you this:Once upon a timeFamilies stayed togetherBut this will not be true in my era.This is a quick fix societyExperts tell meThirty years from now, I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce.I do not concede thatI will live in a country of my own making.In the future,Environmental destruction will be the norm.No longer can it be said thatMy peers and I care about this Earth.It will be evident thatMy generation is apathetic and lethargic.It is foolish to presume thatThere is hope.And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.(Now read the poem from the bottom line up to the top.) Read the poem “Lost Generation” by Jonathan Reed, then answer the following prompt: What is the tone (the author’s attitude toward the subject matter) in the poem? What words or phrases helped you identify the tone? What is the mood (the reader’s feelings) of the poem? What words or phrases created the poem’s mood? The last line of the poem says “And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.” Read the poem again, but this time, start at the bottom line and read up to the top. How has the tone of the poem changed? How did changing the order of the lines create a different mood?
