Spirit Walking in the Tundra (Selection Quiz)

A key theme explored in the poem is the impact of —

• technology on nature

• history on the present

• place on one’s identity

• distance on one’s relationships

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read line 17 of the poem.

Little purple flowers come up from the permafrost.

Which statement best describes the effect of this imagery on the poem?

• It establishes that the setting is cold and barren.

• It shows that life can exist in harsh environments.

• It provides insight into the tradition of the spirit walk.

• It strengthens the connection between people and nature.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

How do the following lines reinforce the theme of the poem?

We drive to the launching place

And see walrus hunters set out toward the sea.

We swing to the summer camps where seal hangs on

drying frames.

• They show a relationship between Alaska natives and nature.

• They remind the speaker that she is far from home.

• They introduce tension between the speaker and her friend.

• They demonstrate how hard life is for Alaska natives.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.5

Read line 24.

We are refreshed by small winds.

What does the imagery in this line suggest?

• The sleeping stillness of the tundra

• The energizing effects of the tundra

• The speaker’s distaste for the landscape

• The speaker’s preference for being alone

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

The mood created in the poem is best described as —

• concerned

• peaceful

• regretful

• solemn

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

Read the following lines:

The plane is so heavy with cargo load it vibrates our bones.

        Like the pressure made by light cracking ice.

Which word best describes how the speaker of the poem feels on the flight to Nome?

• Anxious

• Enthusiastic

• Somber

• Surprised

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

Read line 20 of the poem.

She is wearing designs like flowers, and a fur of ice.

The imagery in this line emphasizes —

• the contrast between the beauty of spring and the dreariness of winter

• the connection between the woman and nature

• the contrast between humans and animals

• the connection between nature and human-made materials

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which response best describes the contradiction in the following lines?

I watch her son play video games on break from the university.

This is what it feels like, says her son, as we walk up tundra,

Toward a herd of musk ox, when you spirit walk.

• The son says one thing but does another.

• The son says one thing but believes another.

• The son's words contrast with the thoughts of the speaker.

• The son's actions contrast modern technology and traditional culture.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10