Poem Quiz

What arises at the beginning of the poem and descends at the end?

• the sun

• a bell

• a bird

• an oak tree

What is the setting of this poem?

• the nest of a bird

• a bush where birds live

• the echoing Green

• the home of Old John

Reread the second stanza of the poem and answer: What can you infer from this stanza about Old John?

• Old John spends most of his time worrying.

• Old John used to play on the echoing Green.

• Old John likes being an old man more than he liked being a boy.

• Old John does not get along well with the other old folk.

Who or what are "the little ones" in line 21 of the stanza?

• young birds

• boys and girls

• mothers

• old folk

What is the theme of this poem?

• the disappointments of old age

• the importance of hard work

• the power of dreams

• the joy of playing outdoors

What is the effect of using personification in lines 2 and 4?

• Personification suggests that nature can be dangerous.

• Personification contrasts birds with human beings.

• Personification explains the difference between skylarks and thrushes.

• Personification creates a mood of happiness.

Whom does "our" refer to in line 15?

• the old folks sitting together under an oak tree

• the people who ring merry bells to welcome the spring

• the boys and girls playing on the echoing Green

• the mothers around whose laps many sisters and brothers gather

What "shall be seen" on the echoing Green?

Define the word "sports" as it is used in the poem. Support your definition with evidence from the text.

What is the echoing Green? Be sure to explain what the echoing Green actually is, not what takes place there. Support your answer with evidence from the poem.