Poem

1. In which lines does the poet use personification to create a somber mood?

• A. Lines 3 through 5

• B. Lines 9 and 10

• C. Lines 17 through 19

• D. Lines 28 and 29

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

2. Lines 20 and 21 suggest that the speaker —

• A. wants to be honest about how little he understands the creative impulse

• B. does not want to mislead his daughter into believing that she has special talent

• C. is now willing to risk hurting his daughter’s self-esteem by telling her the truth about her

  work

• D. wants to admit his confusion about the sometimes-stifling life choices that creative people

  make

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

3. Read lines 26 and 27 from the poem.

"when the sky is a surreal sea in which you drown . . ."

This image can best be interpreted as meaning that —

• A. a child sees the sky as a magical ocean full of mysterious creatures

• B. the speaker hopes to save his daughter from a terrible future

• C. artists experience a sea of wild and unpredictable emotions

• D. there is a danger that artists may get lost in their own creations

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

4. The final line of the poem suggests that —

• A. the daughter will develop an interest in more practical pursuits as she matures

• B. the speaker expects his daughter’s art to transform as she grows older

• C. the daughter’s paintings will become more whimsical as she develops her technical skills

• D. the speaker believes that his daughter will one day be a successful professional artist

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

5. Which sentence describes a shift in the poem’s focus?

• A. In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s creative struggles, while in stanza 2, he

  imagines her eventual success as an artist.

• B. In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s paintings, while in stanza 2, he

  describes his own artwork.

• C. In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s art as an expression of childhood, while

  in stanza 2, he considers her future as a mature artist.

• D. In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s early artistic success, while in stanza 2,

  he questions whether she should pursue a career as a painter.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2