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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. When was Rumi born?

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

3. In the end, how does the King regard Ayaz in a poem in Book 1, Chapter 3?

4. Rumi uses the metaphor of a string between two animals to represent what?

5. In addition to being a religious leader, Rumi was a what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Coleman Barks' preambles prepare the reader?

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

3. Are Rumi's poems emotional or analytical?

4. In what ways does God appear in Rumi's poetry?

5. What is the poet's message about friendship in his writings about a frog and a mouse?

6. How does the role of gender come into play in many of Rumi's poems?

7. What does Coleman Barks mean when he indicates that part of his experience of perceiving Rumi's poems is transcendental?

8. Summarize Rumi's early life.

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

10. Use the "me and you" example in this section to address Rumi's thoughts on identity.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

How does Rumi regard blind acceptance of certain practices, attitudes, and ideas? In his eyes, how can the inner guide serve as a voice of reason and direction when convention tries to pull an individual the wrong way?

Essay Topic 3

Ayaz is a character that appears repeatedly throughout many of Rumi's poems. How does Ayaz evolve through Rumi's writings? In what ways is Ayaz similar to Rumi? To Rumi's friends? How does Rumi use Ayaz to explain to the reader some of his own life experiences?

(see the answer keys)

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