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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. At the start of the group of poems in Book 2, Chapter 2, Coleman Barks gives an introduction that includes folklore from what religious tradition?

2. In the second love story in Chapter 2, Book 2, the three sons end up affected by their reactions to what?

3. What kind of leader is Rumi for his people?

4. In "Town and Country," when the shopkeeper visits his friend in the country, what does the countryside man do?

5. In a poem in Book 2, Chapter 1, what happens to the poor man when he vomits?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. According to Rumi, what limitations does one individual experience when trying to comprehend what another person is feeling?

3. Explain how Rumi uses the idea of Jesus riding a donkey as a metaphor.

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

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

6. Why is jealousy a recurrent theme in Rumi's work?

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

8. In one of Rumi's story poems, in what predicament do three fish find themselves?

9. What is the primary moral of the "Town and Country" story?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

Who was Rumi? Who was Coleman Barks? Why do Rumi's poems resonate so well with Barks? Draw parallels between the 13th-century mystic poet and the contemporary scholar translating his poems.

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