Poem

The poet organizes the poem chronologically most likely to —

•  highlight the importance of friendship

• contrast the attitudes of Jake and the speaker 

  
  

• develop Jake as an important character 

  
  

•  show how the speaker develops a new understanding

 In line 19, the word antagonist means something that causes a —

• problem

• win

• change

• discussion

What is the most likely reason the poet uses personification in lines 39 and 40?

• The emphasize the change in relationship between the wind and the speaker.

• To explain that some relationships are hard for people to understand

  
  

• To prove that building understanding is more important than competition.

• To highlight how the wind changed to meet the needs of the speaker.

This question has two parts.

Part A

What is a theme of the poem?

• A new attitude can make a difference

•  Competition among friends should be avoided whenever possible 

  
  

• How a person plays is more important than whether that person wins. 

  
  

• Careful planning can lead to unexpected opportunity.

Part B

Which line from the poem supports the answer to Part A?

•  Engaged in bold adventures (line 15)

•  I gave up, arms upraised (line 22)

• No one can even see (line 28)

• Now that I’ve come to value (line 37)

Which detail belongs in a summary of the poem?

• A boy laughs at his friend as he passes him

•  The soccer ball flies too high and misses the goal.

• The wind blows the snow during a winter sled race.

•  A boy is upset with the wind because it causes him to lose

 How does the poet’s use of language in line 25 contribute to the mood of the poem?

•  By creating a humorous mood that emphasizes how playful the speaker is.

•  By creating a gloomy mood that contrasts with the poem’s happy conclusion

• By creating a mysterious mood that hints at what will happen next

• By creating a hopeful mood that shows how important good advice is

How does the speaker resolve the conflict at the end of the poem?

• The speaker chooses an opponent with less kite flying experience who he knows he can easily defeat.

• The speaker decides to wait for the season to change so that the wind will be less likely to damage his kite.

•  The speaker changes his attitude about the wind and uses it to fly his kite higher than his opponent.

•  The speaker makes a decision to stop competing against after losing the sledding race.