The Spider and the Fly

What is the meaning of line 3?

• The poet is comparing the spider's legs to steps on a winding stair.

• The spider is comparing the way the fly moves to a winding stair case.

• The poet is describing the spider as a friendly next-door neighbor to the fly.

• The spider is describing his web to the fly as if it were a beautiful old house.

How does the spider's point of view influence how he describes his "home" to the fly in the first three stanzas?

• He sees the fly could use some food and rest and tells her what he can offer.

• He wants to make his home sound as appealing as possible to attract the fly.

• He doesn't get many visitors so he makes his place sound better than it really is.

• He can't help boasting about his home to the fly because he's really proud of it.

What pattern repeats in the first three stanzas?

• The spider asks a question, and the fly answers it.

• The spider describes a problem, and the fly solves it.

• The spider compares things, and the fly contrasts them.

• The spider argues his points, and the fly agrees with them.

Which line reflects the speaker's point of view about the fly?

• "The spider turned him round about and went into his den,"

• "For well he knew the silly fly would soon be back again:"

• "So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,"

• " And set his table ready to dine upon the fly."

What is the meaning of the word subtle as it is used in stanza 5 to describe the spider's web?

• very colorful

• hard to see

• large enough to catch the fly

• extremely sticky

How does the last stanza of the poem connect to what happens in the stanzas that come before it?

• It describes what happens to the main characters in the poem.

• It provides a solution to the problems described in the rest of the poem.

• It explains what the reader can learn from the rest of the poem.

• It contrasts with the ideas provided in the rest of the poem.