Ponies

Why are the ponies scared in line 3?

• They are unable to see where they are headed.

• They are unfamiliar with the world above ground.

• They are uncomfortable being around other ponies.

• They are unsure why they are no longer in the mine.

What is the central theme of the poem?

• the appeal of discovering the unknown

• the thrill of newfound freedom

• the promise of a well planned future

• the wonder and beauty of nature

In line 7, why don't the ponies "understand the grass?"

• They are sick from breathing in too much coal dust

• They are too old to remember where they are going and why

• They have injured legs from pulling heavy coal trucks

• They have lived most of their lives in a dark and stony space

In line 1, what does the simile "like the ghosts of horses" suggest?

• Living in the mine has made the ponies fierce

• The ponies are sick because of the conditions in the mine

• Working underground has changed the ponies

• The ponies look dreadful covered with dust from the mine

What is the importance of lines 19-24?

• They suggest that the ponies prefer playing to working

• They show the feelings experienced by one unusual pony

• They reveal what was once natural behavior for the ponies

• They indicate that the pony is much smarter than the others

In line 28, what is the "happy thunder?"

• the sound of a storm approaching

• the sound of the ponies running

• the sound of the trucks in the mine

• the sound of a pony rolling on the grass