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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. One of the messages of the poem about three brothers who fall in love with a princess in Chapter 2, Book 2, could well be concerning the importance of:

2. In one of the love stories of Chapter 2, Book 2, what happens when three sons meet a powerful Chinese princess?

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

4. Which of the three fish in the fish story in Book 2, Chapter 1, ends up getting caught?

5. Despite high tension between different religions during his lifetime, Rumi was able to do what?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the story where a king falls in love with a girl, and the girl becomes ill, what does the king learn about himself after a doctor arrives on the scene?

2. Does Rumi disagree with holy scriptures?

3. Summarize the countryside man's experience in "Town and Country."

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

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

6. How does the story of the king and the girl he loves end?

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

8. In the poem where three brothers fall in love with the same woman, describe the person they fall in love with.

9. In one of the stories, a king falls in love with a girl, but she is not aware that he cares for her. How does he get close to her?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Rumi's description of candles and sunlight as guiding systems to the external and internal guidance to which people turn.

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?

(see the answer keys)

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