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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. Hafiz encourages believers to make themselves sources of love and hope in the poem "Like a Life-Giving _____".

2. According to Ladinsky, Hafiz wrote between _______ poems, some of which were destroyed by fundamentalist Islamic leaders.

3. The poems in Chapter Three go deeper into the human psyche an use ______ lessons instead of universal truths.

4. In Hafiz's poem "Wise Men Keep Talking About" God is portrayed as a ______ and life is a love factory.

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

2. What was so special about Shiraz where Hafiz grew up, unlike many of the other surrounding cities?

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

4. What does Hafiz encourage the reader to do in "Don't Die Again" according to this translation of Hafiz?

5. What does Hafiz reveal about himself in "Mismatched Newlyweds," according to this translation?

6. In "The Sad Game," what is the imagery which is being used to describe the theft done by guilt?

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

8. What does Hafiz say the reader should do in "Forgive the Dream," according to this translation of Hafiz?

9. What is the ratio of copies of Hafiz's work in relation to the Quran in his own hometown city of Shiraz?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hafiz brings up the idea of meditation as a way to connect with God in a more intimate way.

Part 1: Why do you think Hafiz is so interested in using meditation in his life?

Part 2: Do you think you would ever try to incorporate meditation in your life?

Part 3: How do you think your connection to God might change with the introduction of meditation?

Essay Topic 2

Hafiz uses a poem to describe the idea of burning something away which is destructive.

Part 1: Do you think that burning something away is always destructive?

Part 2: How do you feel about the idea of destroying something else?

Part 3: What do you think happens when a person burns away things in their life which do not serve them?

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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