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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. Rumi uses the metaphor of a string between two animals to represent what?
(a) Selective hearing.
(b) Confusion.
(c) Secret connections.
(d) Imprisonment.

3. Which readers might feel left out reading Rumi's poems?
(a) Older.
(b) Male.
(c) Young.
(d) Female.

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

5. In this book, the term "nafs" refers to what?
(a) A style of poetry developed by Rumi.
(b) A food commonly consumed during Rumi's time.
(c) The part of the soul associated with desires.
(d) The highest state of enlightenment.

6. How many years did it take Coleman Barks to truly comprehend Shams Tabriz through Rumi's poetry?
(a) 6.
(b) 28.
(c) 15.
(d) 37.

7. Much of Rumi's poetry is:
(a) Subdued.
(b) Sarcastic.
(c) Passionate.
(d) Cryptic.

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

9. When the animal soul Rumi writes about is in proper balance, it:
(a) Disappears.
(b) Supports the human.
(c) Endangers the human.
(d) Brings about defeat.

10. One of the key attributes of the character Ayaz is what?
(a) A fear of nearly everything.
(b) Loyalty.
(c) Arrogance.
(d) A tendency to lie.

11. What main lesson does Rumi impart through his poem about a man who wants a tattoo in Book 1, Chapter 2?
(a) A person must listen to one's own heart rather than the babble of others.
(b) Tattoos are a waste of time and money.
(c) When embarking upon a task, one must be prepared for the associated pain.
(d) A man better have enough money before he goes about desiring frivolous things.

12. 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.

13. In a poem in Book 1, Chapter 3, Rumi writes about a deer dying in the paws of a:
(a) Tiger.
(b) Bear.
(c) Wolf.
(d) Lion.

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

15. In the poem in Book 1, Chapter 2, about a man who wants a tattoo, what dilemma does he face?
(a) He has no money for one.
(b) His wife disapproves of tattoos.
(c) He regrets his decision upon feeling the pain.
(d) Tattoos are considered evil.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Rumi, how should one treat his or her baser nature?

2. In a poem in Book 1, Chapter 3 about Ayaz the courtier, what command does the king give?

3. In the poems where Rumi includes a frog as one of the main characters, there is a deep friendship that develops between this frog and a:

4. In the poem "Meadowsounds," Rumi devotes two lines to:

5. The purpose of Coleman Barks' preambles to Rumi's poems is to:

(see the answer keys)

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