"Memories" by Marya Zaturensky EOC Review

1. Which lines from the poem support the theme? (RL1; RL2) 

• A. “…once I have known/They joy that could have touched a heart of stone—“ 
• B. “One day in Kiev I heart a great church-bell/Crying a strange farewell.” 
• C. “From the long water sorrowfully strong,/Came the last echoes of the River Strong!” 
• D. “Here in this alien crowd I walk apart/Clasping remembered beauty to my heart!”

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2. How does the author’s use of rhyme scheme enhance the theme of the poem? (RL2; RL4) 

• a. The rhyming couplets in the stanzas about Russia are rhythmic and soothing. 
• b. The different rhyme patterns are jarring, and mirror the noise of the city. 
• c. The rhyming lines are subtle in comparison to the growing light. 
• d. The rhyme pattern mimics the songs of the birds in the country.

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3. In line 18, what is the meaning of the phrase “clasping remembered beauty”? (RL1) 

• a.  imagining future events 
• b.  recalling past events 
• c.  creating current events 
• d.  forgetting past events

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4. How has the speaker changed between the first and last stanzas of the poem? (RL3) 

• a. She is less meek after remembering beautiful moments from her days in Russia. 
• b. She is even more overwhelmed by her hectic surroundings in New York City. 
• c. She is more aggressive toward the other people in the street. 
• d. She is now confidently intermixing with her fellow walkers.

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5. How does the speaker’s cultural background affect her perception of the noon-time workers of New York? (RL6) 

• a. The speaker dislikes the country life and is energized by the people of New York.
•  b. The speaker’s experiences in Russia lead her to expect New York workers to be wealthy and benevolent people.
•  c. Because the speaker grew up in a large Russian city, she feels at home among the people of New York. 
• d. The speaker’s rural Russian upbringing causes her to view the workers of New York as a herd of animals.

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6. What does the speaker achieve in the poem with her description of New York? (RL1)

• a. She forges a connection with the audience’s sense of gratitude. 
• b. She presents a stark contrast to the beauty of her homeland. 
• c. She describes how to pass time during the hectic rush hour. 
• d. She confesses her feelings of bitterness and remorse.

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7. How does the speaker’s point of view affect her impression of the bustle of New York? (RL3; RL6) 

• a. The speaker feels welcomed and embraced by the citizens of New York. 
• b. The speaker is excited by the differences between home and the new city. 
• c. The speaker feels excluded in a strange and frightening place. 
• d. The speaker is cautious and curious about life in a large, new city.

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