Introduction
Allusions are based primarily on __________.
a. personal intuition
b. shared knowledge
c. imaginative comparisons
d. cultural symbols
Shared Knowledge
In Kipling’s story “Cupid’s Arrows,” Kitty’s nickname refers to __________.
a. Diana
b. Venus
c. Cupid
d. Paris
Diana
Choose the best interpretation of the following line from “The Progress of Poesy”:
“The mount is mute, the channel dry.”
a. No one wants to listen to the words of an older poet.
b. God refuses to provide poetic inspiration to those who are disobedient.
c. In old age, the poet loses both poetic inspiration and imaginative creativity.
d. In his stubbornness, the poet refuses to listen to the poetic inspiration available to him.
c. In old age, the poet loses both poetic inspiration and imaginative creativity.
The title “maggie and milly and molly and may” illustrates the poetic device called __________.
a. personification
b. assonance
c. alliteration
d. onomatopoeia
alliteration
Which object in “The Masque of the Red Death” is not symbolic of death?
a. the westernmost chamber
b. the ebony clock
c. the scarlet windows
d. the easternmost chamber
d. the easternmost chamber
Chesterton uses the color white to symbolize __________.
a. innocence
b. surrender
c. virtue
d. hope
c. virtue
Which of the following is probably least likely to be alluded to by an author trying to write a lasting
work?
a. pop culture
b. the Bible
c. literary classics
d. historic events
pop culture
In “Cupid’s Arrows,” to what situation was Mrs. Beighton referring in her statement: “My dear, . . .we cannot be other than an all-ruling Providence has made us”?
a. her husband’s poverty
b. Cubbon’s lack of “prospects”
c. Kitty’s obligation to marry Barr-Saggott
d. Barr-Saggott’s unattractiveness
Barr-Saggott’s unattractiveness
Within the symbolic meanings of Arnold’s poem, what does the creation of a “channel grand” suggest?
It refers to a person in the middle ages of life honing and directing his or her natural talent.
Cummings’s poetry is often unconventional in its use of all the following elements except __________.
a. syntax
b. capitalization
c. punctuation
d. theme
theme
In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the attitude of Prince Prospero and his revelers toward those
outside the abbey was __________.
a. sympathetic
b. indifferent
c. hostile
d. benevolent
indifferent
In what season does the action of “A Piece of Chalk” occur?
a. spring
b. summer
c. fall
d. winter
b. summer
Choose the literary device that does not appear in the following sentence referring to the Red
Death: “He [the Red Death] had come like a thief in the night.”
a. simile
b. synecdoche
c. allusion
d. personification
b. synecdoche
The character in “Cupid’s Arrows” who best illustrates false values is __________.
a. Mrs. Beighton
b. Mr. Beighton
c. Kitty Beighton
d. Anthony Barr-Saggott
Mrs. Beighton
In one sentence, describe the theme of “The Progress of Poesy.” Does it conform to a biblical worldview? Briefly explain your answer.
Arnold’s theme is that artistic inspiration inevitably dries up as one ages. Arnold’s view is more pessimistic than God’s. While the Bible acknowledges that age brings physical disabilities, God also tells us that the old can be a source of wisdom and stability in a community and should be honored.
Cummings’s assertion in “maggie and milly and molly and may” that we find ourselves in the sea implies in a broader sense that __________.
a. one must get closer to nature
b. responses reveal personality or character
c. the sea can comfort us in times of trouble
d. the sea has mysterious powers
b. responses reveal personality or character
According to “The Masque of the Red Death,” which of the following statements about the rooms in
which Prince Prospero entertained his friends is true?
a. While standing in one room, one could easily see into all the other rooms.
b. The last of the seven rooms was red.
c. The stained-glass windows in each room were the same color as the room.
d. There were no lights or candles within the rooms themselves.
There were no lights or candles within the rooms themselves.
In “A Piece of Chalk,” Chesterton asks the lady who owns the house for __________.
a. brown paper
b. writing paper
c. a notepad
d. scrap paper
a. brown paper
The atmosphere Poe created in “The Masque of the Red Death” could best be described as
__________.
a. happy and cheerful
b. solemn but hopeful
c. weird and frightening
d. angry and triumphant
c. weird and frightening
In the “Progress of Poesy,” each stanza discusses a different __________.
a. aspect of poetry
b. stage of life
c. source of creativity
d. time of day
b. stage of life
The girl in “maggie and milly and molly and may” whose response symbolizes her tenderheartedness is __________.
a. May in her response to the “smooth round stone”
b. Maggie in her response to the “shell that sang”
c. Milly in her response to the starfish with “five languid fingers”
d. Molly in her response to a “horrible thing”
Milly in her response to the starfish with “five languid fingers”
What security measure was taken to prevent the Red Death from entering the abbey to which
Prince Prospero retired with his friends?
a. The guards refused entrance to anyone who had been exposed to the disease.
b. The prince required the revelers to wear masks at all times.
c. The prince limited his guest list to his one hundred closest friends.
d. The courtiers welded shut the bolts of the iron gates.
The courtiers welded shut the bolts of the iron gates.
In Chesterton’s essay “A Piece of Chalk,” the main conflict of the story is __________.
a. internal
b. dynamic
c. external
d. static
external
In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe alludes to which of the following Bible stories?
a. Belshazzar’s feast
b. David and Goliath
c. Joseph’s imprisonment
d. Christ and the lepers
a. Belshazzar’s feast
Arnold’s poem “The Progress of Poesy” alludes to events in the life of which biblical character?
a. Adam
b. Moses
c. David
d. Daniel
Moses
All but which of the following objects are symbols in Cummings’s poem “maggie and milly and molly
and may”?
a. a crab
b. a stone
c. a shell
d. a jellyfish
jellyfish
In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the reactions of the revelers to the last room and to the chiming
of the clock show that they __________.
a. were not really having a good time
b. did not appreciate the prince’s hospitality
c. could not escape their fears of the Red Death
d. were unaffected by the conditions outside the abbey
c. could not escape their fears of the Red Death
Explain what Prince Prospero and his courtiers and the Red Death symbolize in “The Masque of the Red Death.”
Prospero and the courtiers symbolize humanity in general while the Red Death symbolizes death.
Which of the following details does not reinforce the atmosphere of Poe’s story?
a. the symptoms of the Red Death
b. the name of the main character
c. the decorations in the abbey
d. the costumes at the ball
b. the name of the main character
Which adjective best describes Kipling’s tone toward Kitty in “Cupid’s Arrows”?
a. sympathetic
b. disgusted
c. indifferent
d. curious
sympathetic
Choose two of the objects the girls encounter in “maggie and milly and molly and may” and explain the meaning each suggests.
Answers may vary to some degree, but the following are key ideas: The shell that Maggie finds suggests that she is likely to see the beauty of the world. The stranded starfish that Milly helps suggests her kindness and compassion toward others. The fact that Molly is primarily frightened of a crab suggests that she is perhaps overcautious and fearful of the unfamiliar in life. The stone that May keeps suggests that she sees the world as what she makes of it and that she invests things with their own value to her.
In “The Masque of the Red Death,” when the revelers finally notice the masked intruder, their first reaction is one of __________.
a. amusement
b. acceptance
c. disapproval
d. nonchalance
c. disapproval
Is the worldview Poe presents in “The Masque of the Red Death” entirely biblical? Why or why not?
Though Poe correctly points out that man cannot escape death, he takes this theme too far and allows no hope for the Redemption found in Christ.
In “Cupid’s Arrows,” what value system does Mrs. Beighton represent? What does her husband seem to value? What does Kitty Beighton seem to value? Support your answers from the story.
Key ideas: Mrs. Beighton’s values are materialistic. She places great importance on a person’s societal status and personal wealth. As a result, she presses her own daughter to marry someone, not for his personal character or compatibility with Kitty, but purely for his great wealth and importance. Mr. Beighton keeps silent on these issues (being an easy-going person), but his silence seems to be aimed at avoiding conflict rather than expressing agreement with his wife’s ideas. Kitty seems less certain of these values. She does enjoy the importance she gains from Barr-Saggott’s attentions, and she is not immune to the diamond bracelet, but in the end, she cannot stomach the groom himself and so chooses love over wealth or status. Some students may point out that her objections to Barr-Saggott’s looks seem rather shallow. On the other hand, since her looks are what Barr-Saggott seems to be most interested in, it is perhaps only natural for Kitty to use the same criteria.
The main theme of “Cupid’s Arrows” is that __________.
a. parents are often wiser than children about love
b. love is more important than status and wealth
c. one’s appearance is less important than one’s heart
d. people should not ignore society’s values about marriage
b. love is more important than status and wealth
In “maggie and milly and molly and may,” why do the four objects the girls find qualify as symbols?
While each functions perfectly well as a literal object in the author’s story, each object and its part in the story also suggest a deeper meaning about the girl who finds it.
What implication does Poe make in his allusion that “the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod”?
a. The masked figure had overstepped the boundaries of good taste.
b. The masked figure was more majestic than Herod.
c. The masked figure had deceived even the most clever courtiers.
d. The masked figure was more menacing than Herod.
a. The masked figure had overstepped the boundaries of good taste.
Chesterton uses two different symbols to convey his themes. Name one and briefly explain the theme Chesterton uses to communicate.
Chesterton uses white and white chalk as symbols. White symbolizes virtue and suggests that virtue is not merely the absence of evil but also the proactive presence of good. Working off these qualities, Chesterton then uses white chalk (which contributes something very important to pictures) to suggest that England (whose southern soil is full of white chalk) has been a force for good in the world.
What universal theme does “The Masque of the Red Death” support? Name at least five details relating to either plot, setting, or characterization that contribute to the theme.
The universal theme is that man cannot escape death. Many details contribute to this theme, so students’ answers will vary. Some plot details are the securing of the iron gates, the merrymaking of the revelers to shut out the events, and the final confrontation of the Red Death by Prince Prospero and his followers. Some details related to setting are the walls and iron gates of the abbey, the rooms’ colors that progress from blue to black, and the rooms’ design that prevents one from seeing from room to room. Details related to characterization include the references to Prince Prospero’s madness and eccentricities and the irony of his name.
What is Cummings’s theme in “maggie and milly and molly and may”? In one sentence, summarize how the symbols he includes illustrate that theme overall.
Cummings’s theme is that our choices and perspective on life reveal something of our character. The object that each girl finds and her reaction to it reveal something about her.
What is the significance of the title “Cupid’s Arrows”? What other classical allusions does the author make, and how do they relate to the story?
Cupid was the god who shot arrows of both requited and unrequited love. Cubbon’s love for Kitty, the archery expert, is requited; Barr-Saggott’s love for Kitty is unrequited. The allusion to Diana, the goddess of the forest, is appropriate because of Kitty’s skill in archery. The allusion to the judgment of Paris is appropriate because Kitty places love above wealth, just as Paris chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. On the other hand, Kipling may be implying that the ugly Barr-Saggott represents the handsome Paris, and the outcome of the contest is supposed to end with Barr-Saggott, like Paris, winning a beautiful wife.
What does Cummings say we “find in the sea”? What does he mean by this statement?
We find ourselves. He means that our responses to our surroundings often reveal things about our personality and character.
The special rooms in the Prince’s abbey symbolize different __________.
a. personality types
b. ranks of nobility
c. schools of thought
d. stages of life
d. stages of life
The following quotation from Chesterton’s essay creates an example of what rhetorical device?
“But though I could not with a crayon get the best out of the landscape, it does not follow that the
landscape was not getting the best out of me.”
a. antithesis
b. rhetorical question
c. anaphora
d. chiasmus
d. chiasmus
Name five symbols of death in “The Masque of the Red Death.” Tell which symbol you found most effective and why.
Five of the many symbols of death in the story are the black color of the seventh room, the red windows of the black room, the ebony clock in the black room, the clock’s striking midnight, and the corpse-like masquerader. Students’ choices of symbols and their evaluation of the most effective will vary.