Fireflies: A Poem of Two Voices

What kind of insect is this poem about?

• dragonflies

• ants

• fireflies

• grasshoppers

What does the poet compare and contrast fireflies with in this poem?

• planes

• planets

• comets

• stars

. Read these lines from the poem:And here on earth come emulating flies,That though they never equal stars in size,(And they were never really stars at heart)Achieve at times a very star-like start.Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.What can you conclude from these lines?

• The fireflies cannot act like they are stars for very long.

• The fireflies do not want to be like stars.

• The fireflies are able to shine brightly like stars without ever stopping.

• The fireflies can grow to be the same size as stars.

Read these lines from the poem:That though they never equal stars in size,(And they were never really stars at heart)Achieve at times a very star-like start.Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.Why might the poet have included the phrase “of course” in the last line?

• to show that the poet does not really know much about fireflies

• to show that the poet thought the fireflies would be able to sustain the part

• to show that the poet wishes that fireflies could sustain the part

• to show that the poet is not surprised that fireflies cannot sustain the part

What is the main idea of this poem?

• Fireflies can seem very star-like, but only for a short time.

• Although stars are larger in size, fireflies are more beautiful than stars.

• Fireflies live in the garden, while stars appear in the sky.

• Fireflies and stars are both interesting things to study.

Read these lines from the poem:And here on earth come emulating flies,That though they never equal stars in size,(And they were never really stars at heart)Achieve at times a very star-like start.Why might the poet have chosen to use the word “achieve” in the last of these lines?

• to make it seem like fireflies do not want to look like stars

• to make it seem like fireflies sometimes look like stars by accident

• to make it seem like fireflies are very intelligent insects

• to make it seem like fireflies are trying and succeeding at looking like stars

what does the word "they" refer to throughout the poem

• stars

• skies

• flies

• parts