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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When the man in a poem in Book 1, Chapter 2 accidentally soils himself, what does his host and friend do?
(a) Evicts him from his home.
(b) Laughs loudly and humiliates the man.
(c) Leaves for three days while his servants clean the home.
(d) Launders the garments and helps the man feel better.

2. For Coleman Barks, part of the experience of grasping Rumi's poems is what?
(a) Impersonal.
(b) Analytical.
(c) Transcendental.
(d) Scientific.

3. In the poem "Meadowsounds," Rumi devotes two lines to:
(a) Husam.
(b) Shams.
(c) Ayaz.
(d) Hallej.

4. Which of the following best describes the word exoteric?
(a) Open teachings.
(b) Incomprehensible words.
(c) Secret rituals.
(d) Humorous sayings.

5. In the book, Coleman Barks is the author of what?
(a) Chapter Three.
(b) Appendix.
(c) Introduction.
(d) Conclusion.

6. When the animal soul that Rumi refers to is lacking, it leads to what?
(a) Frailty.
(b) Vigor.
(c) Wildness.
(d) Order.

7. The poem "On Being A Lover" is written in what format?
(a) Diary entry of a man who has lost his lover.
(b) Question and answer session between a man and a woman.
(c) Song of lament by a woman who has lost her lover.
(d) Recollection by an old man of his younger years.

8. What post did Rumi inherit?
(a) Scribe.
(b) King.
(c) Treasurer.
(d) Sheik.

9. In the story of a camel and a mouse found in Book 1, Chapter 3, what does the camel do when the two reach a body of water?
(a) Encourages the mouse to continue.
(b) Takes a bath.
(c) Runs away.
(d) Tosses the mouse into the water.

10. Whether writing about friendship, love, or God, a common theme covered by Rumi is:
(a) Submissiveness.
(b) Betrayal.
(c) Lust.
(d) Companionship.

11. What elevates Rumi's poems beyond a simple collection of ideas?
(a) Rich imagery.
(b) Confounding words.
(c) His references to other cultures.
(d) His use of diagrams.

12. What happens when the Caliph meets a beautiful, mysterious woman from the city his men have invaded, in a poem in Book 1, Chapter 2?
(a) One of his men attacks him.
(b) He regrets his actions.
(c) The woman attacks him.
(d) He falls in love with her.

13. In a poem in Book 1, Chapter 2, several men invade a city because they are driven by what?
(a) Sexual attraction.
(b) A mad dictator.
(c) Their egos.
(d) Greed and hate.

14. When was Rumi born?
(a) September 30, 1207.
(b) October 20, 1390.
(c) December 15, 1461.
(d) November 26, 1119.

15. Who is Coleman Barks?
(a) Psychologist.
(b) Scholar.
(c) Satirist.
(d) Photographer.

Short Answer Questions

1. When did Coleman Barks first become interested in Rumi's poetry?

2. How did others regard Shams?

3. In Rumi's string metaphor, the string connects two animals by their what?

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

5. In the poem in Book 1, Chapter 2, about a man who wants a tattoo, what dilemma does he face?

(see the answer keys)

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