Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward

From the title of this poem, "Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward," the reader can infer that the -

• speaker is an older person

• speech was written long ago

• speech was given at a school

• speaker has made many mistakes

Tags

RL 6.5

RL 6.2

What is the main theme of the poem?

• It is important to be cautious at all times.

• Life is too short to worry about the future.

• Life means different things to different people.

• Stay positive and don't dwell on the past.

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RL 6.2

The poet establishes an informal voice by using -

• a rigid structure

• frequent line breaks

• an accented meter

• challenging diction

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RL 6.5

Read line 2 of the poem.

say to the down-keepers,

The poet is most likely referring to people who -

• do not think of the future

• struggle to succeed in life

• are discouraging to others

• believe life should be easy

Tags

RL 6.5

Read lines 2-5 of the poem.

say to the down-keepers,

the sun-slappers,

the self-soilers.

the harmony-hushers,

The figurative language in these lines affects the message of the poem by -

• drawing attention to those with negative outlooks

• drawing attention to examples of worrying behavior

• painting a vivid image of people that should be avoided

• painting a vivid image of how to address negative people

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RL 6.4

The reader can infer that the poet's main purpose is to -

• show the importance of self-expression through poetry

• describe the serious problems life can bring

• prove how effective short poems can be

• encourage readers to be persistent

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RL 6.5

What is the central message presented in lines 10-11?

Live not for battles won.

Live not for the-end-of-the-song.

• Look to the past to learn how to live in the future.

• Do not focus too intensely on the past or the future.

• Be proud of your accomplishments, but do not dwell on them.

• Remember your mistakes, but do not allow them to hinder you.

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RL 6.2

The repetition of the word "live" in the last three lines of the poem helps build a tone that is -

• anxious

• calm

• encouraging

• demanding

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RL 6.4

Which two elements of poetry does "Speech to the Young" use to convey ideas?

• Alliteration

• Repetition of sounds

• A consistent rhythm throughout

• A specific rhyming pattern

• Line breaks after complete sentences

Tags

RL 6.5