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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. This is the first poem to focus on what?

2. "The Digger Wasp" is told from whose perspective?

3. The digger wasp feels _______________ that its offspring will understand the sacrifices it made for them.

4. The two parts of the poem frequently do what?

5. The digger wasp creates what for its children?

Short Essay Questions

1. How could a person relate to a day in the life of the whirligig beetle?

2. From whose perspective is "Honeybees?" Why?

3. What are the moods of this poem? Why do they differ?

4. What is the mood of "The Digger Wasp?" Why?

5. How does the author use poetry and literary devices to teach about whirligig beetles?

6. How do "Whirligig Beetles" and "Requiem" compare?

7. How does the poet use poetry to give the reader a sense of what cicadas sound like?

8. What is "Requiem?"

9. What is the mood of "Cicadas?" Why?

10. What is a literary device used in "Water Boatmen?" Explain how it is used.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Some of the insects' actions are described.

Part 1) What poems focus on action? Whose action is the focus? Why is this the focus? What does this reveal about this insect?

Part 2) How do the other poems contrast these very active poems? Why does this contrast exist? What does this reveal about the insects?

Part 3) How is action connected to the mood of the poem? How important is the mood of the poem? Explain. Is the mood of a story important to every story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Mayflies live for only one day.

Part 1) How do they spend their day? Why might they do this? How do they feel about this one day? Are you surprised by this? Why or why not?

Part 2) How are many people like the mayfly? How can one relate to this creature whose life lasts only twenty-four hours?

Part 3) What is the lesson of this poem? What can the reader learn about how one should spend one's life, based on this poem? Why?

Essay Topic 3

The point of view of these poems is often from the point of view of the insect that is the main character of the poem.

Part 1) Support this statement with facts from the book. Why might the poet choose to have most of the poems from the perspective of the insect?

Part 2) What is a poem not from the perspective of one insect? From whose perspective is it? Why? How does this affect your view of the insect?

Part 3) How is perspective important in a story or poem? How does this affect the mood of the story and the readers' view of the story and characters?

(see the answer keys)

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