EOC Review Packet #3

Which lines from the poem support the theme?

• “. . . once I have known / The joy that could have touched a heart of stone—”

• “One day in Kiev I heard a great church-bell / Crying a strange farewell.”

• “From the long waters sorrowfully strong, / Came the last echoes of the River Song!”

• “Here in this alien crowd I walk apart / Clasping remembered beauty to my heart!”

Answer explanation

The theme of this poem could be "Good things come and go", or "The grass isn't always greener on the other side", "Home is where the heart is", etc. The poem is about a woman who feels isolated among the busy streets of New York, but in her heart she remembers the beauty of her homeland (Russia). Therefore, answer choice "D" supports the theme because it hits both sides of the theme.

How does the author’s use of rhyme scheme enhance the theme of the poem?

• The rhyming couplets in the stanzas about Russia are rhythmic and soothing.

• The different rhyme patterns are jarring, and mirror the noise of the city.

• The rhyming lines are subtle in comparison to the growing light

• The rhyme pattern mimics the songs of the birds in the country

Answer explanation

Answer choices "C" and "D" can be eliminated because the rhyme scheme isn't designed to focus on those aspects. The narrator speaks of the beauty of her homeland and the couplets match well with the "reminiscent" side of the theme.

In line 18, what is the meaning of the phrase “clasping remembered beauty”?

• imagining future events

• recalling past events

• creating current events

• forgetting past events

Answer explanation

To "clasp" something means to attach it. Therefore, if she is "clasping remembered beauty", then it is something she is clinging to

How has the speaker changed between the first and last stanzas of the poem?

• She is less meek after remembering beautiful moments from her days in Russia.

• She is even more overwhelmed by her hectic surroundings in New York City

• She is more aggressive toward the other people in the street.

• She is now confidently intermixing with her fellow walkers

Answer explanation

At the beginning, the speaker is clearly uncomfortable with the busy streets of New York. By the end of the poem, she has used memories of her homeland to reduce her current anxiety

How does the speaker’s cultural background affect her perception of the noon-time workers of New York?

• The speaker dislikes the country life and is energized by the people of New York.

• The speaker’s experiences in Russia lead her to expect New York workers to be wealthy and benevolent people

• Because the speaker grew up in a large Russian city, she feels at home among the people of New York

• The speaker’s rural Russian upbringing causes her to view the workers of New York as a herd of animals.

Answer explanation

The speaker's cultural background is easily identified whenever she speaks about the agriculture of her homeland. She uses this background to make better sense of the busy streets of New York.

What does the speaker achieve in the poem with her description of New York?

• She forges a connection with the audience’s sense of gratitude.

• She presents a stark contrast to the beauty of her homeland.

• She describes how to pass time during the hectic rush hour.

• She confesses her feelings of bitterness and remorse.

Answer explanation

By describing the chaos of noon-time in New York, she is able to provide the reader a more positive image of the beauty in her homeland.

How does the speaker’s point of view affect her impression of the bustle of New York?

• The speaker feels welcomed and embraced by the citizens of New York.

• The speaker is excited by the differences between home and the new city.

• The speaker feels excluded in a strange and frightening place.

• The speaker is cautious and curious about life in a large, new city

Answer explanation

The speaker's point of view is able to show her true feelings about the amount of people on the streets. She expresses her anxiety by saying "My soul, bewildered without retreat, closes its wings and shrinks, a frightened bird.".

How do Sharat’s feelings about Nilkanta help develop the theme of the selection?

• Sharat is pleased by Nilkanta’s presence because he will be a diversion for his mother.

• Sharat is pleased that his family will be able to help Nilkanta

• Sharat becomes aggravated by Nilkanta’s daily activities and lifestyle.

• Sharat becomes increasingly jealous of Nilkanta’s relationship with his wife

Answer explanation

The theme of this article could be "People tend to think they know you better than you do", "Jealousy can lead to resentment", or "You don't always get your way". This quote helps develop the theme because it shows the frustration Sharat experiences when his wife begins to spend time with the Brahman boy.

How does the use of personification in the first paragraph help develop the setting?

• It emphasizes the loudness of the storm.

• It emphasizes the cause of the storm.

• It emphasizes the damage of the storm.

• It emphasizes the severity of the storm.

Answer explanation

The personification adds a human characteristic to the storm they are experiencing. This storm develops the setting because the husband and wife are experiencing a "storm" of their own.

What is the meaning of the simile in the sentence below from paragraph 5?

“Like a rudderless boat, the discussion kept turning round and round the same point; and at last it threatened to be overwhelmed in a flood of tears.”

• It describes two people who are crying because they finally came to a solution.

• It describes an endless argument between two people

• It depicts a husband and his wife engaged in a minor argument

• It describes an insolvable argument between a husband and his wife, threatening to deteriorate into tears

Answer explanation

This simile is meant to show the severity of the argument and how it will end with hurt feelings