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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. "Cry Out In Your Weakness" is a poem about:

2. At times the character Hallaj can be tender and loving, but other times he can be what?

3. What is the "animal soul" that Rumi writes about?

4. In a poem in Book 1, Chapter 3, Rumi writes about a deer dying in the paws of a:

5. What happened after Shams disappeared a second time?

Short Essay Questions

1. Use the "me and you" example in this section to address Rumi's thoughts on identity.

2. Summarize Rumi's early life.

3. How would one describe the tavern poems?

4. Briefly explain Rumi's metaphor of sugar and vinegar.

5. Explain how Rumi uses the metaphor of a string when discussing the bonds of friendship in his writings about a frog and a mouse.

6. Summarize the poem about a man getting a tattoo. What message is delivered through this poem?

7. How does the role of gender come into play in many of Rumi's poems?

8. How is Coleman Barks associated with Rumi?

9. Who were Rumi's three best friends, and how did he regard each?

10. Are Rumi's poems emotional or analytical?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how at times, Rumi ventures into the darker aspects of the world to illuminate higher spiritual truths. Refer to some of his short stories and his metaphors to address this topic.

Essay Topic 2

Using Rumi's poems to support your analysis, explain the poet's ideas regarding the following:

1. Tough love.

2. Making sacrifices.

3. Learning a lesson even when it's too late.

Essay Topic 3

How does Rumi use Muslim and Christian teachings to support his ideas, messages, lessons, and findings? Using at least one example from each religion, show how the religious teaching makes it into Rumi's teachings.

(see the answer keys)

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