Part one of term paper
The poem Churchgoing portrays the actual act of going to church as a faithless ritual. Marilyn Nelson conveys a very mundane attitude in this poem to describe the atmosphere in the church. The church attendants “sit stolidly,” while the ceremony drags on. The narrator of the poem is also on the verge of sleep, wondering whatever happe ...

Part two of term paper
... find that church is defined as a public place to worship. And going is a departure. By definition the title literally mean leaving the church. Or, the way I see it, it can mean the act of going to church. The meaning of church has left. The young people are there only because their parents taught them that this was the right thing to do. And, the older people are there out of a sense of duty. Belief is not a factor or consideration. The title is trying to portray going to church as a perf ...