"Icarus's Flight" (Poetry)

Which statement best describes the message of the poem?

• Icarus flew too far for no good reason.

• Icarus learned something by flying too far.

• Icarus had a habit of flying too far.

• Icarus was excited by flying too far.

In lines 1, 5, 14, and 18, the poet puts a question mark before the end of the line. The poet does this to —.

• make the reader pause

• create randomness

• exclaim a thought loudly

• reverse the meaning of the line

Reread the first line of the poem. Which sentence best describes the poet’s purpose for beginning the poem this way?

• The poet wants to criticize Icarus.

• The poet wants to establish sympathy for Icarus.

• The poet wants to establish that Icarus did not know what he was doing.

• The poet wants to establish the idea that Icarus was a young boy.

How does the poet use language to set the tone of the poem?

• The poet uses exciting language to set a fiery tone.

• The poet uses formal language to set an uncaring tone.

• The poet uses reasoning language to set a thoughtful tone.

• The poet uses mournful language to set a sad tone.

Which word best describes the theme of the poem?

• fear

• wisdom

• insight

• freedom

The poet’s use of the words liberty and freedom creates what mood in the poem?

• cautious

• careless

• serious

• frightening

Which statement supports the key idea that the knowledge Icarus gained was valuable to him?

• Icarus burned his wings and fell to Earth.

• Icarus found the limits of his freedom.

• Icarus was not seen by shepherds and farmers.

• Icarus discovered a law to protect his fall.

The poet begins a sentence at the end of each stanza and does not finish it until the first line of the next stanza, as in lines 4 and 5 of the poem. What best describes why the poet uses this structure?

• He uses it to capture the reader’s attention throughout the poem.

• He uses it to make the reader think about what is happening in each stanza.

• He uses it to maintain the flow of the poem and the feeling of being drawn downward.

• He uses it to make the reader go back and read the previous stanza to understand the next one.

Which two statements reflect the poet’s purpose in writing the poem?

• to retell the myth of Icarus

• to provide a detailed account of Icarus’s flight and fall

• to question the lesson in the myth of Icarus

• to provide an alternative viewpoint

• to persuade the reader that Icarus was careless

Which of the following events happened first?

• Icarus finds flying uplifting and continues flying upward, enjoying his freedom.

• Icarus appreciates his freedom after he has lost it.

• Icarus flew to escape.

• Icarus learns that taking risks comes with rewards and costs.

• Icarus flies too high and his wings melt.