Planetarium Adrienne Rich

What does the reverse parallelism of lines 1–2, “a woman in the shape of a monster/ a monster in the shape of a woman” most nearly convey?

(A) That monsters and accomplished women like Caroline Herschel are viewed as similar

(B) That explosions in astronomy can be monstrous

(C) That women who go outside traditional occupations are monsters

(D) That women in science were at one time viewed as monstrous

(E) That only monsters can make scientific discoveries

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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What does “the skies are full of them” in line 3 convey in the context of the poem?

(A) There are many more women in science waiting to be discovered.

(B) There are many monstrous women.

(C) The skies are full of witches.

(D) The skies are full of stars.

(E) We need telescopes to see history clearly.

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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In line 13, “Galaxies of women, there”, the word “there” most nearly seems to be everywhere EXCEPT

(A) the night sky

(B) a planetarium

(C) the cosmos

(D) Taurus

(E) the moon

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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The speaker likely says women are “doing penance” to highlight

(A) the risks of scientific knowledge

(B) the penalties for violating social constraints

(C) women’s traditional association with the home

(D) the analogies between religious vocation and astronomy

(E) the moral purpose of scientific knowledge

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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What metaphor is conveyed in the poem in lines 9–12, “she whom the moon ruled/ like us/ levitating into the night sky/riding the polished lenses”?

(A) That women are witches

(B) That scientists are witches

(C) That witches violate male power

(D) That scientists court death and destruction

(E) That geniuses appear and reappear like comets

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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What poetic device is used in lines 45-46 (“for the relief…and mind”)?

(A) Cacophony

(B) Enjambment

(C) Hyperbole

(D) Alliteration

(E) Paradox

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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The narrative “I” in the poem can best be described as

(A) sorrowful that women astronomers were not appreciated at one time

(B) angry that a women astronomer was not appreciated in her lifetime

(C) eager to finish the analysis of the universe that Caroline Herschel started

(D) pensive about the nature of the universe and the sweep of history

(E) receptive to knowledge about the universe and hoping to contribute

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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The overall tone of the poem is

(A) anguished and militant

(B) peaceful and restrained

(C) satiric and demonic

(D) searching and analytical

(E) ironic and distanced

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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The first 10 stanzas are best understood as

(A) a tribute to Caroline Herschel and women like her

(B) a plea to appreciate early women in science

(C) a comparison of Caroline Herschel with Tycho Brahe

(D) a paean to the vision required to discover comets

(E) a discussion of women’s contributions to science

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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What does the unusual space in line 16, “in those spaces of the mind,” convey in the context of the poem?

(A) Poems open new spaces in the mind.

(B) The poem is like a galaxy, with open spaces.

(C) The poem is like the universe, with shifting spaces.

(D) It represents a pause for reading the poem aloud.

(E) The women in the night sky are expanding their minds.

• A

• B

• C

• D

• E

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