Dump/How Things Work - Poetry

What does the speaker in “Dump” mean by “discarded hopes” (line 9)?

• A things that people don’t have enough space to store

• B things people bought that disappointed them

• C things that remind people of unpleasant events

• D things that people regret having thrown away

What image is created by the form of “Dump”?

• A a tall pile of things that have been discarded

• B a long journey undertaken by the speaker

• C a dialogue between two people

• D a long list of items the speaker wants

What does the speaker in “Dump” mean by “our lightened living room” (line 22)?

• A The room has been emptied of the things that he took to the dump.

• B He will be happy to get away from the dump and back to his living room.

• C The room will be brighter by the time he gets home.

• D The room will seem light in comparison to the clutter at the dump.

Which lines in “Dump” contain a metaphor?

• A “Paintings eternally stale / That, hung, remained aloof,” (lines 15–16)

• B “The acrid smell of trash / Arises like perfume.” (lines 23–24)

• C “Maneuvering steep stairs / of bedsprings to our car,” (lines 25–26)

• D “We stumble on homecanned pears / grown poisonous in their jar” (lines 27–28)

What does the speaker in “Dump” mean by the lines “Our emptiness may rankle / but soon it too shall pass” (lines 31–32)?

• A We will get over our desire to accumulate things.

• B We will buy new things to fill up our emptiness.

• C We will soon forget all about our experience at the dump.

• D We will bring home some of the things from the dump.

The speaker in “How Things Work” is addressing

• A his wife.

• B a waitress.

• C shoppers.

• D his daughter.

In “How Things Work,” what is the speaker saying about the things he buys?

• A He buys things only for other people.

• B He doesn’t really need the things that he buys.

• C Each thing he buys helps another person buy something.

• D The things he buys cost too much.

Which lines from “How Things Work” contain a simile?

• A “The tip I left / for the waitress filters down / Like rain, . . . “ (lines 5–7)

• B “Perhaps, a belligerent cat that won’t let go / Of a balled sock . . .” (lines 8–9)

• C “As far as I can tell, daughter, it works like this:” (line 10)

• D “Tickets to a movie in which laughter / Is thrown into their faces.” (lines 14–15)

What is the effect of the final words “I guess” in “How Things Work”?

• A They show that the speaker has not been serious about what he has said.

• B They emphasize what the speaker has said earlier in the poem.

• C They contribute to the rhythm of the poem.

• D They show that the speaker has doubts about what he has said.

In what way are the two poems alike?

• A Both have a regular rhyme scheme.

• B Both include a listing of items.

• C Both have four stanzas.

• D Both use a question-and-answer structure.