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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 "That Shapes the ______", Hafiz the purity and easy happiness of youth and the benefits of focusing on God in age.

2. The poems "God Just Came Near", "The Sun Never Says", and "The Seed Cracked Open" use imagery from ______ to describe the connection to God.

3. Hafiz instructs people to learn to see cause to celebrate even the mundane in the poem "If the Falling of a _____"

4. The poem "The Millstone's _____" describes God's unique ability to speak to the hearts deepest longings.

5. Hafiz uses the image of the ocean's defying gravity to symbolize a life in the supreme safety of "God's ______".

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Queen Victoria do with the poetry of Hafiz when she read it during her reign?

2. What is the purpose of Hafiz's desire to speak the universal truths in his poems, according to the translator?

3. What is the request Hafiz makes of believers in the poem, "Out of This Mess"?

4. Why were Hafiz's poems destroyed by the fundamentalist Islamic leadership?

5. What is the permission that Hafiz grants the reader in "Get the Blame Straight," according to this translation of Hafiz?

6. What is the symbolism which is being used in "Please," according to this translation of Hafiz?

7. What is the main metaphor which is being used when Hafiz writes, "Looking for a Good Fish"?

8. What does Ladinsky have to say about his interpretation of Hafiz and what he did with the translation?

9. In "God's Bucket," what does the symbolism of the roaring ocean seem to say, according to this translation of Hafiz?

10. What does Hafiz believe about the power of God and his power in the world of men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In one poem, Hafiz warns the reader about not finding joy in work and then being swallowed up by the world.

Part 1: Do you think it's always possible to find joy in work?

Part 2: How do you think a person might find joy in something they don't necessarily want to do?

Part 3: Why do you think it's important to find joy in one's life and in one's work?

Essay Topic 2

Hafiz points out that man can become preoccupied by ideas that are not important.

Part 1: Do you feel you can become distracted by things which are not important?

Part 2: Why do you think the men are so easily distracted by these unimportant thoughts?

Part 3: Do you think it's possible to completely avoid unimportant thoughts?

Essay Topic 3

Speaking the language of happiness is something that Hafiz encourages people to do.

Part 1: How can one speak the language of happiness in everyday life?

Part 2: Do you think that you speak the language of happiness? Why or why not?

Part 3: What is the consequence of speaking the language of happiness?

(see the answer keys)

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