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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 did Abbasseh say that the Self must choose between?

2. What did Shiekh Noughani ask for from God after seven days had passed during his trip to Neishaspour?

3. Whom did the woodcutter say that God helps?

4. To whom did the hoopoe compare the nightingale?

5. On what mountain peak did the Simorgh live?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe the phoenix from the hoopoe's story "The Phoenix."

3. What was the meaning behind the story "A Pauper in Love with the King of Egypt"?

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

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

6. What will the quest do for the birds?

7. Describe the parrot's plumage.

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

9. How did Abbasseh describe the Self?

10. What was the problem with love according to the hoopoe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Given that the book was written in Persia during the twelfth century, how successful is it in relating to current issues that people face today? Does Attar's book pass the test of time? Why/Why not? Is the book as relevant today as it was during the twelfth century? What did you find to be lost in translation?

Essay Topic 3

Attar mixes religious icons with historically important and known figures. Discuss the importance of this mixture. What did Attar hope to gain by this? Did it deepen the acceptance/understanding of the text? Why/Why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 719 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample