I've Got a Terrible Headache - Poem

Read this line from stanza 1

I'm sure I can't stand it much longer,

my skull's being squeezed in a vise,

as regiments march to the blazing of trumpets,

and thousands of tap-dancing mice.

The poet uses the simile in these lines to describe --

• the appearance of the speaker's skull.

• the sound of the trumpets as they are played.

• the type of dance the mice are doing.

• the pain the speaker is feeling.

The word vise most nearly means --

• a tool

• a skull

• a dance

• an instrument

The poet included stanza 1 most likely to --

• highlight the fact the speaker is causing his own pain.

• describe the feeling of the headache as a painful event.

• emphasize the effect the speaker has on his surroundings

• show that the speaker is watching a funny event

Which word in stanza 2 helps the reader understand the meaning of bongos?

• drumming

• melons

• porpoises

• stampeding

Which line in the poem supports the idea that the boy's headache is self inflicted?

• My head’s filled with horrible noises,

  there’s a man mashing melons inside,

• and if I keep hitting my head with this hammer,

  I doubt that my headache will stop.

• I’ve got an incredible headache,

  my temples are throbbing with pain,

• I’m sure I can’t stand it much longer,

  my skull’s being squeezed in a vise,

How is the reader supposed to feel (their mood) when they read the resolution of the poem?

• Annoyed

• Intrigued

• Confused

• Amused