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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. In the poem in Chapter 2, Book 2, about the king who loves the girl, what is Rumi's message about real love?

2. In "Town and Country," how does the town man usually reply to his country friend's invitation to visit him in the country?

3. In one of the poems in Chapter 2, Book 2, what gift does a prisoner receive?

4. When King Solomon woos a queen in Book 2, Chapter 1, he asks that she do what?

5. What is the premise in Rumi's "Town and Country"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How familiar were Muslims with Christian concepts during Rumi's era?

2. Why does Rumi advise people to let go of scriptures after reading them?

3. In one of Rumi's stories, how does a wise man end up helping a poor man by showing "tough love?"

4. How are the men's experiences similar in "Town and Country?"

5. Explain the significance of candles in this last section of the book.

6. How does Rumi use his story of a poor man who is healed to explain the nature of God?

7. How did Islam come about?

8. Summarize the folklore Coleman Barks refers to when introducing the poems of Book 2, Chapter 2 to the reader.

9. What does King Solomon want from the Queen of Sheba?

10. What are some of the lessons inherent in the story of the Friend assisting the prisoner through the prayer rug?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do Coleman Barks' prefaces add to the interpretation of Rumi's works? Explain how Barks facilitates understanding of the poet's writings. Use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Explain how at times, Rumi ventures into the darker aspects of the world to illuminate higher spiritual truths. Refer to some of his short stories and his metaphors to address this topic.

Essay Topic 3

What important lessons come through in the poem "Town and Country"? Describe the friendship between the two friends in this story. When the tables are turned and the shopkeeper gets to walk in the countryside man's shoes, how are his eyes opened? What does he finally see, after so many years, about the suffering his friend experienced when he first arrived in town?

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