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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. What is the mood of "Mayflies?"

2. What aspects of humanity can be learned from the book lice poem?

3. Besides F, what are three other frequently used letters in "Fireflies?"

4. What is the mood of "The Moth's Serenade?"

5. Like the mayfly, people often have feelings of nostalgia towards what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are mayflies and fireflies similar?

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

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

4. To what does the poet compare fireflies? Is this a good comparison? Why or why not?

5. Describe the grasshoppers in "Grasshoppers" and the water striders in "Water Striders." How do they compare?

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

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

8. How can a person relate to this moth?

9. What is "Joyful Noise?" Why might the poet find this joyful?

10. How does a mayfly's life compare to our own?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The book is written for two speakers.

Part 1) Why might the poet have chosen to have two speakers read his poems in unison? How does this affect the poems as a whole?

Part 2) How do these poems compare to poems that have only one speaker? Which type of poems do you prefer, those with one speaker or two? Why?

Part 3) How does the use of poetry enhance the subjects of the poems? Would these stories of insects be as interesting or appealing if they were written in prose instead of poetry? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

A theme of this book is the focus on the insects' unique qualities.

Part 1) What are the unique qualities of each of the insects? How does the poet describe these unique qualities and make them stand out to the reader? What is his purpose for doing this?

Part 2) What is the most frequent quality described in this book? Support your response with proof from the book. Why might the poet have frequently focused on this quality? How can humans relate to this quality?

Part 3) How might reading about these unique qualities affect the reader? How might the reader's view of insects change because of these unique qualities? How do these qualities help you identify with the insects?

Essay Topic 3

"Requiem" is a unique poem.

Part 1) How is it unique? Why is it so different from the other poems? What is the purpose of this poem? How is this poem connected to all the other poems?

Part 2) What is the lesson of this poem? How can humans relate this to their own lives?

Part 3) What is a requiem? Why are requiems created? How do those who hear these requiems benefit from them?

(see the answer keys)

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