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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. _______________ are used to help people to better understand the insect world around them.

2. The mayfly's birth and death take place when?

3. What does the moth do throughout the entirety of this poem?

4. What is the mood of "Book Lice?"

5. The poet compares the firefly to what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What literary devices does the poet use to express the moth's feelings?

2. How are these book lice opposites? How do they get past this?

3. How would you describe a firefly to someone who has never seen one?

4. How does the poet use words to make the movement of the firefly more exciting and vivid? Do you think this is effective? Why or why not?

5. What might be the real purpose for a firefly's light? Why do you think this?

6. What is the purpose of this book?

7. How are other animals like humans? What human qualities do other animals have?

8. How does the mayfly's perception of time compare to our own?

9. Why are mayflies so frantic, according to this poem?

10. How is the structure of the poem "Grasshoppers" reminiscent of the movement of the grasshoppers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Personification is an important theme found in each poem.

Part 1) Why is personification an important theme? How are the insects personified? Why does the poet choose to use personification in this poem? Is this effective? Why or why not?

Part 2) What different personalities are found in the insects? How can each of these personalities be related to humans? How is human emotion also important in these poems? Which poems focus the most on human emotion? Why? How is this connected to the behaviors of the insects?

Part 3) What other literary devices are used in this book? When and why is each literary device used? How do these literary devices help the poet make the poems engaging and purposeful?

Essay Topic 2

The tone of this book changes from one poem to another.

Part 1) Which poems give off a sense of chaos and frenzy? Why? How does the poet give the poems this tone? What tools does the poet use to create very different poems from these chaotic poems?

Part 2) How has the poet chosen certain insects to have certain personalities and characteristics? Do these personalities reflect the actual creatures? If so, how? If not, why not?

Part 3) Do you believe the insects are truly as the poet describes? Why or why not? What is the poets reason for giving the insects these varying personalities, opinions, and characteristics?

Essay Topic 3

There is artwork found throughout this book.

Part 1) Describe the artwork found in this book. How is the artwork connected to the poems? How important is the artwork to the poems? Which poems seem to have a stronger connection with the artwork? Why?

Part 2) Is this artwork necessary to the poetry? Why or why not? Does it effectively enhance the poems? Why or why not?

Part 3) How are art and literature connected, in general? How do they benefit from each other? How can they inspire and support each other?

(see the answer keys)

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