Benchmark Aligned Questions "The Ecchoing Green"

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

1. Part A: Identify two themes of the poem. (R.1.2)

• Ones youth should be appreciated

• The sun is a direct reflection of happiness

• All wonderful things can be seen out in nature

• The human life cycle is very similar to events that occur in nature.

• Sounds of animals and children playing can bring about true regrets.

2. Part B: Select two ways the themes of “The Ecchoing Green” chosen in Part A are developed. (R.1.2) (Identify one detail for each theme)

• Using repetition to signal changes in the plot

• Using dialogue to explain a character’s perspective

• Using rhetorical devices to emphasize a character’s perception and experiences.

• Using allusions to hint at events that will occur later in the timeline

• Using rhetorical questions to reveal plot events leading to the climax

3. Part A: Select an example of the author’s use of a simile within the poem? (R.1.4)

• “The sky-lark and thrush,/ The birds of the bush, ” (lines 5-6)

• “Old John, with white hair/ Does laugh away care” (lines 11-12)

• “‘Such, such were the joys./ When we all girls & boys,” (lines 17-18)

• Round the laps of their mothers, / Many sisters and brothers, / Like birds in their nest, (lines 25-27)

4. Part B: How does the simile chosen in Part A contribute to the meaning of the text? (R.3.1)

• It elaborates on old John’s interaction with the little ones within the stanza.

• It emphasizes the change in tone from cheerful and energetic to weary and fatigued.

• It highlights the consistent mood of nostalgia and longing felt throughout the poem.

• It illustrates the increased rhythm of cheer and energy experienced from stanza to stanza.

5.  Read lines 21 and 23 in the poem and answer the question below.

"The sun does arise,” (Line 1)

…

“The sun does descend” (Line 21)

What does “the sun” symbolize in the text? (R.3.1)

• it symbolizes the course of one’s lifetime

• it symbolizes the coming and going of the seasons

• it symbolizes the qualities of a lunar eclipse in general

• it symbolizes the hours of operation on the Ecchoing Green

6. Select three poetic devices that create a rhythm in the poem. (R.1.4)

• Alliteration (the same same letter or sound at the beginning of words)

• End rhyme (words that have the same ending sounds)

• Slant rhyme (two words that almost rhyme)

• White space (space with no words)

• Assonance (repetition of the vowel sound across words within the lines)

7. Read lines 21-22 in the poem and answer the question below.

Till the little ones weary

No more can be merry

 What does the word weary mean as it is used within the sentence? (V.1.3)

• cautious

• energetic

• unhappy

• exhausted

8. How does the author’s use of personification in stanza 1 advance the overall appeal in the poem? (R.3.4)

• it appeals to the bird lovers, by including various types of songbirds within the poem

• it appeals to the emotions of his audience, by using a child’s perspective on elements of nature

• it appeals to the credibility of the author, by showing how knowledgeable he is on seasons and animals

• it appeals to the logic of the reader, by stating a realistic cause and effect connection between the sun and the sky

9. Part A: In stanza 2 of the poem, how does the narrator develop the perspective of Old John? (R.1.3)

• using rhetorical questions to emphasize his views on nature

• using diaogue to illustrate a nostalgic memory of Old John’s

• using an anecdote to elaborate on the illustrious views of the scenery

• using concrete details to provide a detailed description of the sports that are played on the Ecchoing Green

10. Part B: In stanzas 1 and 3, how is the narrator’s perspective developed differently than Old John’s perspective in Part A? (R.1.3)

• through their feelings about aging on the Ecchoing Green

• through their thoughts about nature on the Ecchoing Green

• through their dialogue with one another on the Ecchoing Green

• through their actions towards each other on the Ecchoing Green