"Hope" Poems
Which of the following best describes a central theme of "'Hope' is the thing with feathers"?
A. Overcoming obstacles requires more than just hope.
B. One can rely on hope to help in difficult times.
C. What nature needs often conflicts with what people want.
D. Love and family can help people get through difficult times.
B. One can rely on hope to help in difficult times.
How does Dunbar's choice of the word 'caged' in "Sympathy" contribute to the overall tone?
A. It introduces a hopeful tone about future liberation.
B. It emphasizes the importance of self-expression.
C. It conveys a sense of helplessness and limitation.
D. It illustrates the beauty of the natural world.
C. It conveys a sense of helplessness and limitation.
How does the speaker's behavior toward the foe develop over the course of the poem?
A. The speaker moves from anger to forgiveness.
B. The speaker ignores conflict entirely.
C. The speaker secretly nurtures anger instead of resolving it.
D. The speaker seeks help from other to solve the problem.
C. The speaker secretly nurtures anger instead of resolving it.
What does the reference to the mother "taking it...in silence" reveal about her role in the family?
A. She enjoyed conflict between family members.
B. She endured the father's behavior for years before finally acting.
C. She encouraged the children to oppose their father from the beginning.
D. She remained unaware of the father's actions.
B. She endured the father's behavior for years before finally acting.
What figurative language device is used, AND what does it suggest about the hallway?
"The hallway was a zoo during lunch."
metaphor; it suggests the hallway is chaotic, loud, and out of control
Which statement best explains the extended metaphor used throughout "Hope Is Not a Bird, Emily"?
A. Hope is compared to a predator to show it destroys people's lives.
B. Hope is compared to a disease to show it spreads uncontrollably.
C. Hope is compared to a bird to highlight its beauty and fragility.
D. Hope is compared to a sewer rat to emphasize its ability to survive in harsh environments.
D. Hope is compared to a sewer rat to emphasize its ability to survive in harsh environments.
Which of the following lines from "Sympathy" best reflects the anguished tone expressed in the poem?
A. "I know why the caged bird sings"
B. "And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars"
C. "For he must fly back to his perch and cling"
D. "When the sung is bright on the upland slopes;"
B. "And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars"
What is the effect of the extended metaphor of the tree?
A. It shows how anger can grow when it is deliberately nurtured over time.
B. It emphasizes the importance of nature in the speaker's life.
C. It suggests that the speaker has no control over their emotions.
D. It highlights the peaceful relationship between the speaker and the friend.
A. It shows how anger can grow when it is deliberately nurtured over time.
Read lines 8-11. What effect does the anaphora have on the poem?
A. It emphasizes the speaker's admiration for the father's success and wealth.
B. It creates a humorous tone by listing the father's belongings.
C. It emphasizes the extent of the father's fall from power.
D. It shifts the poem's focus away from the father and toward the children.
C. It emphasizes the extend of the father's fall from power.
What figurative language device is used, AND what is the effect?
"The homework weighed a ton in her backpack."
hyperbole; it emphasizes that the homework feels overwhelming or excessive
What does the last stanza of "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" suggest about the speaker's point of view regarding hope?
A. The speaker thinks hope is helpful but only to a certain point.
B. The speaker has experienced some troubled times but is now in a much better place.
C. The speaker things of hope as the only source of comfort in their life, even more than food (i.e. "the crumb").
D. The speaker, having experienced adversity, regards hope in a positive light, as it never asked anything of them.
D. The speaker, having experienced adversity, regards hope in a positive light, as it never asked anything of them.
How does Dunbar's choice to repeat the phrase "I know why the caged bird sings" affect the poem's overall meaning?
A. It suggests that the bird is happy despite its situation.
B. It creates the idea that the bird is crying out for help.
C. It emphasizes the joy of singing.
D. It highlights the speaker's understanding of imprisonment.
D. It highlights the speaker's understanding of imprisonment.
What impact does the figurative language in lines 5-8 have on the poem's meaning?
A. The speaker's wrath ripens like a piece of fruit that, like the foe, is outwardly beautiful but inwardly rotten.
B. The speaker tends to their wrath like a plant, implying that the speaker actually does care for the foe because of all the attention they pay to them.
C. The speaker's wrath grows every time their foe smiles at or acts kindly towards the speaker, which suggests that nothing can overcome hatred.
D. The speaker takes care of their wrath like a plant that later produces a poisoned fruit, implying that anger can feel satisfying but is toxic to let grow.
D. The speaker takes care of their wrath like a plant that later produces a poisoned fruit, implying that anger can feel satisfying but is toxic to let grow.
Which quotation best supports the idea that the children initially felt satisfaction at their father's downfall?
A. "Then you were fired, and we / grinned inside"
B. "Would they take your / suits back, too, those dark / carcasses"
C. "She had taught us to take it, to hate you and take it"
D. "I wonder who took it and / took it from them in silence"
A. "Then you were fired, and we / grinned inside"
Identify TWO figurative language devices used.
"By the end of practice, Burt's stomach kept complaining and he felt like he could eat an entire buffet."
personification - "stomach kept complaining"
hyperbole - "he could eat an entire buffet"
In "Hope Is Not a Bird, Emily," how does the diction such as "ugly," "teeth and claws," and "sewer rat" primarily affect the tone?
A. It creates a hopeful and comforting tone similar to traditional view of hope.
B. It establishes a harsh, gritty tone that redefines hope as something resilient.
C. It produces a humorous tone that mocks the idea of perseverance.
D. It creates a neutral tone that avoids emotional influence.
B. It establishes a harsh, gritty tone that redefines hope as something resilient.
Which structural choice helps to create a sense of urgency in the poem?
A. The chronological order of the bird's life events.
B. The speaker repeating the phrase "I know."
C. The inclusion of various bird species in the text.
D. The alternating focus between the bird's confinement and its yearning for freedom.
D. The alternating focus between the bird's confinement and its yearning for freedom.
How does Blake's use of contrast between the friend and the foe MOST contribute to the development of the poem's theme?
A. The contrast shows that all conflicts can be resolved if both parties are willing to communicate.
B. The contrast emphasizes that anger towards a foe is more intense than anger toward a friend.
C. The contrast highlights how expressing anger leads to resolution, while suppressing anger leads to harmful consequences.
D. The contrast suggests that enemies are more dangerous than friends.
C. The contrast highlights how expressing anger leads to resolution, while suppressing anger leads to harmful consequences.
Why does the speaker end the poem by wondering about the lives of the homeless figures?
A. The speaker believes the homeless figures deserve their fate.
B. The speaker wants to avoid thinking about the father.
C. The speaker realizes suffering can reduce anyone to a powerless state.
D. The speaker hopes to help the homeless figures.
C. The speaker realizes suffering can reduce anyone to a powerless state.
Identify the TWO figurative language devices used.
"The wind whispered secrets through the trees like and old friend."
personification - "wind whispered"
simile - "like an old friend"
How does the structure and portrayal of hope in "Hope Is Not a Bird, Emily" differ from "'Hope is the thing with feathers"?
A. Both poems use similar imagery to present hope as gentle and uplifting.
B. Sieda's poem uses traditional structure, while Dickinson's poem is free verse.
C. Sieda's poem presents hope through harsh, realistic imagery while Dickinson presents hope as delicate and comforting.
D. Both poems suggest hope is unreliable and should not be trusted.
C. Sieda's poem presents hope through harsh, realistic imagery while Dickinson presents hope as delicate and comforting.
Which of the following identifies the central theme of the poem?
A. To achieve freedom, one must fight hard enough for it.
B. One cannot live a full or happy life if they are denied freedom.
C. Birds specifically cannot be denied freedom due to their need to fly.
D. With enough time, any person will lose the pull they feel towards freedom.
B. One cannot live a full or happy life if they are denied freedom.
How does the overall use of repetition contribute to the meaning of the poem?
A. The poem's use of alliteration creates the speaker's deceptive tone.
B. The poems use of anaphora emphasizes the speaker's decision to grow his anger.
C. The poem's use of repetition builds a malevolent mood by revealing the speaker's hatred toward his enemy.
D. The poem's use of anaphora emphasizes the foe's decision to harm the speaker.
B. The poems use of anaphora emphasizes the speaker's decision to grow his anger.
Which statement best expresses a central idea of the poem?
A. Power always belongs to those who are the strongest.
B. Revenge brings lasting happiness and closure.
C. Wealth and success protect people from hardship.
D. Suffering can create cycles of pain but can also lead to empathy.
D. Suffering can create cycles of pain but can also lead to empathy.
What figurative language device is used, AND what effect does it have?
"With his tail between his legs, the man scurried off."
metaphor: a man is compared to a frightened dog emphasizing how scare he is