A Blessing

In “A Blessing,” which of the following represents the separation between people and animals?

• the highway

• the pasture

• the woods

• the fence

Read these lines from “A Blessing.”

And the eyes of those two Indian ponies

Darken with kindness.

They have come gladly out of the willows….

Which words in these lines make the horses seem human?

• eyes, ponies

• ponies, kindness

• kindness, gladly

• gladly, willows

In “A Blessing,” what effect do the ponies have on the speaker?

• They make him feel sad.

• They bring up old memories

• They make him feel alive

• They cause him to be careful

Read these lines from “A Blessing.”

Suddenly I realize

That if I stepped out of my body I would break

Into blossom.

What makes the image in this line a metaphor?

• The “b” sound is repeated.

• The word break is at the end of a line.

• The speaker imagines that he is a blossom.

• The speaker uses the word “I” to refer to himself.

Which word best describes the tone of “A Blessing”?

• playful

• peaceful

• sorrowful

• suspenseful

At what time of day do the events in “A Blessing” take place?

• Sunrise

• midday

• twilight

• midnight

In “A Blessing,” what is most likely the “blessing”?

• the spring grasses that grow in the pasture

• the light breeze that moves over the landscape

• the relationship between the speaker and his friend

• the feeling of closeness between humans and animals

In “A Blessing,” what have the ponies (horses) come “out of the willows” to do?

• greet visitors

• watch cars go by

• graze in the woods

• leap over the fence

Which words in these lines make the horses seem human?

• eyes, ponies

• ponies, kindness

• kindness, gladly

• gladly, willows

In “A Blessing,” what is the primary setting of the poem?

• A) A bustling city

• B) A quiet pasture

• C) A dense forest

• D) A sandy beach