Quiz on the poem 'At Dusk' by Natasha Trethewey

What sound is mentioned as part of the evening backdrop in the poem?

• Birds chirping

• Street lamps humming

• Cars honking

• Dogs barking

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.11-12.11

What does the cat in the poem seem unable to decide?

• Whether to eat or sleep

• Whether to leap over the hedge or stay

• Whether to chase a mouse or a bird

• Whether to climb a tree or stay on the ground

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

Lines 1-4 of “At Dusk” are important to the poem because —

• the speaker gives her impression of someone calling a cat

• the speaker shows how the neighbor startled her

• the poet establishes a sense of the setting

• the poet uses a symbol of a broken home

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

What is the effect of the phrase the lines stitching here to there in “At Dusk,” lines 27-28?

• It conveys the speaker’s loneliness.

• It conveys wonder about technology.

• It is a metaphor for bringing people together.

• It is a simile for a map that exists in the speaker’s mind.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

How is the theme of “At Dusk” revealed in the events that unfold in the poem?

• The speaker listens to sounds commonly heard at dusk and wants to make her own music.

• The speaker hears the call of the neighbor and ponders reaching out to another person.

• The speaker listens to the cat being called and wishes to not be so stuck in her life.

• The speaker observes a cat resisting the neighbor and considers rebelling herself.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which two quotes from "At Dusk" create a tone of longing?

• away from home—flitting before her ("At Dusk," line 19)

• left me to wonder that I too might lift / my voice, sure of someone out there, / send it over the lines stitching here / to there ("At Dusk," lines 25–27)

• the sun setting behind the hills ("At Dusk," line 10)

• the birds flying back to their nests ("At Dusk," line 15)

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

Which of the following best describes the tone of "At Dusk" by Natasha Trethewey?

• Joyful and uplifting

• Melancholic and reflective

• Aggressive and confrontational

• Humorous and light-hearted

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

In "At Dusk," how does Trethewey's choice of words affect the reader's understanding of the poem's theme?

• It obscures the theme, making it difficult to discern.

• It clarifies the theme by using straightforward, simple language.

• It enriches the theme by incorporating symbolic language and metaphors.

• It has no significant effect on the understanding of the theme.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

How does the use of language in "At Dusk" contribute to its mood?

• By employing a fast-paced, action-oriented vocabulary

• Through the use of vivid, sensory details

• By using technical, scientific terms

• Through the use of colloquial, informal language

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

In the context of the poem, what does wheedling most closely mean?
"Then I hear the high-pitched wheedling we send out to animals"

• A sound used to call animals

• A trained routine

• A high-pitched scream in pain

• A cry for attention

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4