View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did the finch say that he would seek his loved one at?

2. What happened to the fisherboy's father?

3. What did a Sufi try to buy for nothing in Baghdad?

4. What happened when the Shiekh Sam'an drank wine?

5. Shiekh Sam'an's people left for __________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened after the hoopoe was chosen as their leader?

2. How did the hoopoe define a lover while he was advising the birds?

3. According to the text, how does an earthly king act?

4. What did the birds ask the hoopoe about regarding the Way?

5. What problem did the hoopoe have with the hawk?

6. Why could the dervish and the princess not be together?

7. What will the quest do for the birds?

8. What was the hoopoe's response to the partridge's excuse for not wanting to go on the quest for the Simorgh?

9. What happened between Nimrod and the mosquitoes?

10. Why was the murderer allowed access into heaven?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the book, the birds find out that they are, in fact, the Simorgh. Discuss the inferences that are made throughout the book that hint at this being true. How did their concerns, actions, fears, and successes lead you to believe that the birds were the Simorgh.

Essay Topic 2

The introduction of the book describes Attar's favorite literary device as the anaphora. Address the following in a paper: What is an anaphora? Why did Attar choose to use the anaphora? What purpose did the anaphora serve in the book? Give multiple examples of anaphoras used in the text and describe their use.

Essay Topic 3

Attar's writing also used hyperbolic language. The problem with Attar's use of the hyperbole is that it is meant to be used to indicate depth. Find three examples of hyperboles from the text and discuss the meaning that Attar meant in regard to using it.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 735 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample