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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. The poet speaks of happiness for an unknown reason, and it becomes easy to ______, though the joy is inexplicable.

2. The poet says the he would die into _______, as clouds might disappear into the sun, according to his writings.

3. Rumi decided to answer that he wrote so much because no ________ came from the radiance inside of him.

4. What images in the book does Barks say reflect the idea of openings within the world and in the poems?

5. When the poet talks about tearing down the ___________, he is talking about tearing down the self.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Barks suggest is the identity of the 'you' in Rumi's poem, as it is not clear who this person is?

2. What happens during the chess game between Shams and Rumi, according to Barks?

3. What happens as the result of the spiritual journey that Shams and Rumi discuss?

4. What happened as a result of Zuleikha loving Joseph so much that he became everything to her?

5. Why does the poet say that it is not necessary to grieve, according to the writings of Rumi?

6. How does Rumi describe the idea of love in the last section of these poems?

7. What do the Sufis think about love and about its ability to help people, according to the book?

8. What does Rumi tell the reader to do in order to start their own spiritual journey, like Moses or Joseph did?

9. What does Rumi say that he doesn't regret in his life, according to one of his poems?

10. What happens as the result of surrendering to love, according to the writings of Rumi?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story of Shams and Rumi is one which plays out from one page to the next in this book, a story of friendship and the sharing of knowledge.

Part 1: Why do you think Shams and Rumi got along as well as they did?

Part 2: Why do you think Rumi still felt the need to be competitive with Shams?

Part 3: Do you think all relationships are competitive on some level? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Rumi often gives the reader warnings about paying attention to the world around them, lest they miss something more important or beautiful.

Part 1: Do you think you are able to focus on the things which are important in your own life?

Part 2: Why do you think Rumi wants the reader to focus on everything around them?

Part 3: How do you look at the world? Do you focus on tiny details or can you focus on the big picture?

Essay Topic 3

According to Rumi, anything or anyone that is loved reflects the lover's spirituality as love brings one closer to God.

Part 1: What kinds of love do you think Rumi feels are going to best bring someone closer to God?

Part 2: How do you think love brings one closer to God and closer to spiritual fulfillment?

Part 3: Is it possible for everyone to find love and thus to find spiritual fulfillment?

(see the answer keys)

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