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

2. When was Rumi born?

3. Over time, Coleman Barks' feelings about the messages in Rumi's poetry have what?

4. When the animal soul Rumi writes about is in proper balance, it:

5. In the poem in Book 1, Chapter 2, where several men fall in love with the same woman, her physical beauty is really a representation of what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ayaz learn from his predecessors in order to reach a decision that finds favor with the king?

2. What might you conclude about Rumi's ideas regarding the importance of friendship?

3. How would one describe the tavern poems?

4. How does Rumi refer to his friends in the poems within Book 1, Chapter 3?

5. What does the poem about a mouse and a camel convey about friendship and honesty?

6. Briefly explain Rumi's metaphor of sugar and vinegar.

7. What are some of the challenges of translating Rumi's poems?

8. With regards to beauty, what important connection does Rumi infer when he references a beautiful woman in the poem about a city being invaded by men driven by sexual desire?

9. Summarize Rumi's early life.

10. Summarize the poet's message about the importance of balance with respect to the "animal soul."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rumi writes about numerous love triangles. Summarize the stories and lessons associated with the following complicated "triangles:"

1. The case where three brothers fall in love with a Chinese princess.

2. The case where a king falls in love with a girl and her doctor, but the girl is in love with another person.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Rumi's poems involving a mouse and a frog. What key points is Rumi trying to make through these poems? What lessons can a person learn from these poems and apply to his or her life?

Essay Topic 3

What are Rumi's views on friendship? In his eyes, what defines a good friendship? How does a good friendship contribute to a person's quality of life? How does a close friendship help an individual evolve and grow? Cite specific examples from Rumi's writings to support your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 828 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample