Midnight

1. How are the train and the speaker similar? 

• A. Like the train that has a schedule to keep, the speaker has an approaching responsibility. 
• B. Like the train that brays and boasts, the speaker acts in an overly proud manner. 
• C. Like the train that travels at midnight, the speaker prefers to work during the night. 
• DLike the train that stays on a straight course, the speaker avoids change. 

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2. Which line from the poem best expresses the speaker’s sense of dread? 

• A.Line 2: and it’s midnight, 
• B Line 7: and needed rest. 
• C Line 8: When I lie in wait 
• DLine 15: from so many miles away . . . 

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3. The metaphor in the first stanza is used to emphasize that the — 

• A speaker behaves like a small child on the weekend 
• B speaker’s weekend of fun and relaxation is over 
• C speaker uses the weekend to organize things 
• D speaker’s time is wasted during the weekend 

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CCSS.RL.7.4

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4. The poet uses a simile in lines 23 and 24 to reveal that the speaker — 

• A wants to be outside 
• B cannot get comfortable 
• C does not like fishing 
• D might be having a dream 

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5. Dividing the poem into two stanzas allows the poet to — 

• A compare the speaker’s schedule with the train’s schedule 
• B ask questions to keep the reader guessing about what will happen 
• C contrast the speaker’s feelings about weekends and Mondays 
• D incorporate reminders for the reader about where the action takes place 

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CCSS.RL.7.10

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6. The train is important to the poem because it represents — 

• A reflecting on the past 
• B visiting distant places 
• C following a planned routine 
• D interrupting peaceful memories 

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7. The poet likely intends for the last two lines to express the speaker’s — 

• A regret over the experiences of the weekend 
• B concern about doing well in school 
• C fear of the arriving train 
• D anxiety about the coming day 

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