Hanging Fire Poem

Which phrase from “Hanging Fire” indicates that the speaker is not an adult?

• “always so ashy”

• “what if I die”

• “I am fourteen”

• "too small for me”

A concern that the speaker in “Hanging Fire” repeats in each stanza relates to

• dying soon.

• feeling happy.

• needing help.

• wanting space.

In lines 19–21 of “Hanging Fire,” the speaker says “there is nothing I want to do and too much that has to be done” to express

• a constantly changing view of life.

• frustration at having too many chores.

• a feeling of excitement about the future.

• anger about not making the Math Team.

In “Hanging Fire” what is the effect of the speaker’s repetition of the same phrase at the end of each stanza?

• It shows that the speaker is not dependent on his or her mother.

• It suggests a good relationship with his or her mother.

• It reveals the mother’s need to better understand her child.

• It emphasizes the speaker’s need for the mother’s guidance.

In “Teenagers” the speaker is most likely

• a parent.

• a teenager.

• a teacher.

• a principal.

Which is the main focus of “Teenagers”?

• the disappearance of children

• learning a new language

• adjusting to a new home

• communication problems

Which is a simile?

• “I pace the hall, hear whispers,”

• “faces I once held, open as sunflowers”

• “we become strangers in our own home”

• “a code I knew but can’t remember”

In “Teenagers,” the phrase “glowing almost like pearls” suggests that the speaker

• believes the children are precious.

• wants the children to find work.

• hopes to understand the children.

• finds the children annoying.

Both “Hanging Fire” and “Teenagers” deal with

• communication between parent and child.

• the issues a teenager faces in school.

• taking responsibility for oneself

• teenagers’ need for discipline.

Which is a difference between “Hanging Fire” and “Teenagers”?

• One has a rhyme scheme and the other does not.

• One is about teenagers and the other is not.

• One is written in free verse and the other is not.

• One has an adult speaker and the other does not.