Poetry Quiz

Why might a writer use graphical elements in a poem?

• to create rhyme in an unusual pattern

• to make a poem look a certain way and to suggest meaning

• to keep the poem short and to make it easier to read

• to establish a strong rhythm that carries through the poem

How does the poet emphasize the importance of describing the floor as “bare” in the excerpt below?

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.

• by preceding it with a dash

• by following it with a period

• by putting it on a line by itsel

• 
  all of the above

Read the following poem:

Home . . . the silence glides aside for cricket calls,
And softly slides back, and I float to sssleeep.
Here, the silence cracks and shatters.
The city blares! Clangs! Jangles!
City people rest nonetheless.
Not I. No, not I.

• how tired the speaker is

• 
  how much the speaker yearns for home

• the contrast between the quiet of home and the noise of the city

• 
  the differences between the speaker and people who live in cities

1. In Mother to Son, lines 14-20: How does the poem change?  Explain and cite the line numbers.

In Mother to Son, in what ways does the poet continue and deepen the metaphor? Cite line numbers

In Mother to Son, in lines 8-13 and 18-20, what personal qualities does the mother demonstrate?

Why does she use herself as an example to in her message to her son? Cite line numbers

In "Mother to Son" what is the lesson she wants her son to learn?

How has the speaker in “Mother to Son” responded to her life experiences?

• 
  with an intense religious faith

• with a determination to keep going

• with a hope for a happier future

• 
  with an appreciation for what she has

In “Mother to Son,” what lesson about life is the mother trying to teach her son?

• Do not envy the people who have an easy path in life.

• Do not envy the people who have an easy path in life.

• No matter how hard you try, you will still not reach your goals.

• 
  Your life may be difficult, but never give up striving for your goals.

What do these details reveal most clearly about the mother? Choose two options.

• She has often wanted to give up her goals.

• She has sometimes failed and turned back.

• She has achieved some progress in her life.

• She has moved forward even when the future has been unclear.

• 
  She has sometimes failed and turned back.