ICU bu Grace Chua

PART B: Which phrase from the poem provides the best support for the answer to Part A?

• “Last game for a while.” (Line 1)

• “They're picking apart the kite-string / of your life” (Lines 6-7)

• “people'd think / you almost weren't breathing” (Lines 14-15)

• “but I can't see / for the life of me / the far-off / places” (Lines 18-21)

PART A: Which of the following statements best describes the tone of stanza 1?

• tender and concerned

• playful and bold

• cheerful and optimistic

• gloomy and grateful

PART B: Which phrase from the poem provides the best support for the answer to Part A?

• “I open my eyes, smile, / and see but cannot touch / your hands” (Lines 2-4)

• “even as you rise / out of reach / like a balloon” (Lines 7-9)

• “I think you're dreaming / of a distant beach” (Lines 10-11)

• “building castles for the waves to live in” (Line 12)

Which statement best summarizes how the structure of the poem impacts its meaning?

• The lines gets shorter as the speaker realizes their loved one is dying

• The poem ends with a one-word stanza because the speaker is confused

• The poem begins with personification and ends with imagery showing the hospital.

• The stanzas in the poem get shorter to show that the speaker is getting quieter.

PART A: Which of the following statements best expresses a theme of the poem?

• Playing games with death is a helpful way for one to cope with loss.

• Death has a finality people cannot easily understand.

• Death is a part of life people can avoid.

• Grief can be comforting when we understand death.