Starlings in Winter

Which sentence uses the word spring as it is used in the poem?

• The council was ready for objections that would spring from citizens’ minds.
• The playful cat sat motionless, waiting to spring on the colorful toy mouse.
• Since the boat was old, the captain was not surprised when it did spring a leak.
• With the great influx of tourists to the state, hotels were expected to spring up quickly.

The suffix “-able” helps the reader know that “notable” means

• not noted.
• process of being noted.
• without being noted.
• can be noted.

Which lines from the poem most convey a hopeful mood?

• “Chunky and noisy, / but with stars in their black feathers,”
• “And now, in the theater of air, / they swing over buildings,”
• “and you try / but you simply can’t imagine”
• “Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us, / even in the leafless winter,”

Read the lines from the poem.
“that they are this notable thing, / this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin” Which literary device is used in the lines?

• simile
• metaphor
• personification
• onomatopoeia

What is the impact of the first person point of view on the meaning of the poem?

• It generates an unbiased view of the actions of birds.
• It explains how the speaker functions in the city during the winter.
• It communicates the innermost feelings of the speaker.
• It provides information about what winter looks like in the city.

Which term describes the structure of the poem?

• ballad
• sonnet
• free verse
• heroic couplet

What is the poet’s purpose in writing the poem?

• to compare the speaker’s state of mind with the behavior of starlings
• to persuade the reader to observe the behavior of starlings in the winter
• to describe the appearance of starlings in the winter
• to explain why starlings fly from telephone wires

What is the literary significance of the poem?

• The poem combines joyous celebrations of life events with a satirical outlook on others.
• The poem combines introspection with keen observances of the natural world.
• The poem combines observations of society with objective analyses of the self.
• The poem combines humorous commentary on the self with criticism of modern society.