Comprehension
1. Which description best categorizes the poem?
A) A meditation on a disappointing outcome
(B) A recollection of a remarkable occurrence
(C) A lament for a vanished way of life
(D) An analysis of a momentous decision
(E) An invitation to celebrate a hard-fought victory
(B) A recollection of a remarkable occurrence
17. In lines 30-33 (“From . . . remarkable”), the narrator suggests that the woman appears to have (A) been overwhelmed by suffering
(B) found comfort in her memories
(C) learned to suppress her grief
(D) grown weary of her life
17. In lines 30-33 (“From . . . remarkable”), the narrator suggests that the woman appears to have (A) been overwhelmed by suffering (B) found comfort in her memories (C) learned to suppress her grief (D) grown weary of her life (E) reached a point of acquiescence
(E) reached a point of acquiescence
2. The primary purpose of lines 1-8 is to
(A) re-create a contentious situation
(B) develop a comparison between two time periods
(C) foreshadow the poem’s implied conclusion
(D) provide a context for the poem’s central image
(E) undermine the credibility of the speaker
(D) provide a context for the poem’s central image
25. In the first stanza (lines 1-6), the speaker expresses dismay at the possibility that he will
(A) be forgotten by his lover
(B) be abandoned by his friends
(C) soon be dead
(D) lose his creative powers
(E) forget his religious duties
(D) lose his creative powers
38. The use of the second person (“you”) starting in line 24 has which of the following effects?
(A) It offers the reader insight into Touchwood’s personality.
(B) It allows the reader to take Touchwood’s side.
(C) It involves the reader more intimately in the passage.
(D) It confronts the reader with his or her own personal failings. (E) It allows the speaker to mask his or her personal feelings.
(C) It involves the reader more intimately in the passage.
12. Which of the following responses is part of the “marked effect” (line 14) that the statue has on Soames?
(A) He is overcome with grief.
(B) He meditates on mortality.
(C) He feels alone in the world.
(D) He reconsiders his ambitions.
(E) He accepts his failures.
(B) He meditates on mortality
31. In lines 31-33, the speaker implies that
(A) the theme of his poems remains the same
(B) his love of poetry undermines his love of God
(C) his writings are intended to convert nonbelievers
(D) literary language can be used to conceal truth
(E) no poetry can adequately describe religious faith
(A) the theme of his poems remains the same
7. For the “Old folks” (line 10), the blooming of the flower was
(A) a festive and celebratory event
(B) a surprising and disheartening symbol
(C) an unusual and controversial discovery
(D) an unwelcome and alarming premonition
(E) an unexpected and profound revelation
(E) an unexpected and profound revelation
30. In line 30, the speaker does which of the following?
(A) Confesses a deeply held personal prejudice
(B) Proposes a standard for novice poets to follow
(C) Praises the beauty of religious abstractions
(D) Conceptualizes an ideal that can never be fully realized
(E) Asserts a connection between the subject of poetry and its execution
(E) Asserts a connection between the subject of poetry and its execution
41. In lines 40-51 (“If Touchwood’s . . . against retort”), the narrator primarily makes use of which of the following?
(A) A hypothetical scenario
(B) An extended metaphor
(C) A personal anecdote
(D) An objective analysis
(E) An ironic digression
(A) A hypothetical scenario
16. According to the passage, which statement about the statue is true?
(A) Its technical excellence initially prevented Soames from recognizing its power.
(B) Its location leads Soames to see it as more somber than it might otherwise appear.
(C) Its effect on Soames diminishes the longer he views it.
(D) Its meaning to Soames varies with his angle of perspective.
(E) Its significance to Soames depends largely on his mood.
(D) Its meaning to Soames varies with his angle of perspective.
33. The narrator suggests that agreeing with Touchwood on a given subject is a way to
(A) achieve a kind of victory over him
(B) change his grouchiness to good humor
(C) earn his grudging intellectual respect
(D) throw him into confusion and embarrassment
(E) cause him to alter his original approach
(E) cause him to alter his original approach
8. If the context of the poem is interpreted broadly, the cotton flower most likely symbolizes
(A) the possibility of miraculous change
(B) the superficiality of beautiful objects
(C) a vision of extravagant opulence
(D) attainment of personal ambitions
(E) commitment to a false ideal
(A) the possibility of miraculous change
34. Which of the following is true of the adjective “superfluous” as it is used in line 5 ?
(A) It reflects Touchwood’s point of view.
(B) It exposes the narrator as unreliable.
(C) It undermines a previous assertion.
(D) It creates a solemn tone in the sentence.
(E) It conjures a specific image.
(A) It reflects Touchwood’s point of view.
44. With regard to genre, the passage can best be classified as a
(A) personal narrative
(B) political satire
(C) case history
(D) character sketch
(E) cultural commentary
(D) character sketch
23. In lines 1-2, the speaker describes
(A) an absent lover
(B) a sign of old age
(C) the approach of winter
(D) the loss of religious faith
(E) the universality of death
(B) a sign of old age
35. In context, Touchwood’s reaction to “An invitation” (lines 6-7) is best described as
(A) justifiable
(B) spontaneous
(C) self-serving
(D) sadistic
(E) perverse
(E) perverse
10. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) describe the atmosphere of the cemetery
(B) advance a view about the United States
(C) discuss the nature of Soames’s relationships
(D) reveal aspects of Soames’s character
(E) offer speculations about Soames’s motivations
(D) reveal aspects of Soames’s character
36. According to the narrator, when is Touchwood LEAST contented?
(A) When he fails to agree with an opponent
(B) When a tradesman presents him with a bill
(C) When he fails to get a peaceful night’s sleep
(D) When he lacks a specific object to challenge
(E) When he is unable to achieve a benevolent end
(D) When he lacks a specific object to challenge
52. The phrases “pleasing sorrow” (line 27) and “corrosive care” (line 28) are both examples of
(A) assonance
(B) oxymoron
(C) sarcasm
(D) hyperbole
(E) onomatopoeia
(B) oxymoron
24. In line 6, the speaker suggests that his relationship with God
(A) cannot be expressed except in poetry
(B) became important only as he neared death
(C) requires that he stop writing secular poems
(D) is like that of a lover and an absent beloved
(E) will withstand his mortal decline
(E) will withstand his mortal decline
37. What is the most likely reason that Touchwood “is inclined to make the tradesman wait for the money” (lines 16-17) ?
(A) He enjoys doing harm to other people.
(B) He fears for his own financial security.
(C) He refuses to respond to another’s prompting.
(D) He is extremely wary of being cheated.
(E) He is uncertain about the legitimacy of others’ demands.
(C) He refuses to respond to another’s prompting.
15. In line 22, the word “luxury” is best interpreted as suggesting that Soames
(A) thinks of art only in monetary terms
(B) expects to have his whims catered to
(C) views emotions as experiences to be savored
(D) regards his grief as frivolous and undignified (E) refuses to consider the fact that he will die
(C) views emotions as experiences to be savored
39. Lines 27-29 (“Impossible . . . fault”) primarily serve to
(A) offer feeble excuses
(B) present contradictory explanations
(C) acknowledge personal responsibility
(D) imagine and reject possible provocations
(E) describe and deny public allegations
(D) imagine and reject possible provocations
32. The statement “Thou art still my God” (lines 6, 10, and 32) is best described as
(A) a lament
(B) a refrain
(C) a summons
(D) an epilogue
(E) an aside
(B) a refrain