The Moth

1. All of the following are present in the opening sentence of the passage EXCEPT...

• Subordinate clauses

• An objective tone

• Elements in a series

• A typical narrative opening

• More verbs than nouns or adjectives

2. The “fried” in line 4 derives force from which of the following?

I. Its commonplace associations

II. Its location in the sentence

III. Its alliterative associations with the verbs that precede it

• II only

• I and II only

• I and III only

• II and III only

• I, II, and III

3. The objects of the verb “creating” (line 5) combine to form an impression of...

• Familiar reality imposed on an unfamiliar locale

• Sudden color in a formerly monochromatic scene

• Miraculous isolation in a hostile environment

• Ominous fragility in a threatening episode

• Supernatural inspiration of creative thought

4. The phrase “gone the long way of her wings and legs” (line 10 – 11) emphasizes the...

• Unusual proportions of the moth

• Unexpected course of the moth's death

• Irrevocable disappearance of the moth's head

• Rapidity with which the fire consumed the moth

• Foulness of the lingering smoke from the burned head

5. All of the following are true of the sentence “She kept burning” (line 14) EXCEPT...

• Its brevity makes it emphatic

• In context, its tone is one of awed fascination

• In context, "burning" means "avenging"

• The feminine pronoun links the image to the specificity of the previous paragraph

• The feminine pronoun humanizes the moth, in preparation for references to martyrs

6. In the second and third paragraphs, the speaker focuses on the moth as...

• A specimen embodying qualities inherent in all moths

• A reflection of her own past experiences

• Essentially a creation of her own imagination

• Something more than a moth, both literally and figuratively

• An innocent victim of human passivity

7. Which of the following prepare the reader for the image of the “immolating monk” (line 17)?

I. “spectacular skeleton” (line 14)

II. “jagged hole” (line 15)

III. “saffron-yellow flame” (line 16)

IV. “robed” (line 16)

• I and II only

• I and III only

• III and IV only

• II, III, and IV only

• I, II, III, and IV

8. The repetition of “she burned for two hours” (lines 18 & 19) serves all of the following functions EXCEPT to...

• Provide transition between the second and third paragraphs

• Imply that the passage of time has several different meanings

• Maintain the idea that the burning object has a noteworthy persistence

• Focus the reader's attention on the burning moth

• Dramatize the narrator's fixation on the duration of the event

9. In line 21, “kindled” is best interpreted to mean...

• Relaxed

• Angered

• Enamored

• Betrayed

• Inspired

10. The image of the poet Rimbaud expands the meaning of the description of the burning moth to include the...

• Futility of excess in a world governed by physical laws

• Self-destructive yet self-perpetuating passion of the artist

• Selfishness of those who would use the light of others to find truth

• Power of the intellect over human behavior

• Necessity of recording and analyzing mystical experiences