Gift-Wrapped Fathers Selection Test

Which statement best expresses a theme of 'Gift-Wrapped Fathers'?

• Fathers naturally feel pride and love for their sons.

• Sons handle separation from their fathers better than the fathers do.

• Relationships between fathers and sons naturally weaken over time.

• Sons cannot fully understand the struggles of being a father until they grow up.

Which two excerpts from the poem best support the answer to Part A?

• you held him up in your arms / and showed him off to the world like Simba / Hakuna Matata days (lines 3–5)

• he made a convenience store out of your heart / open all night eyes (lines 7–8)

• but these cell blocks pull pieces from your soul / like Lego blocks every time your visit finishes (lines 40–41)

• sometimes, he hugs you like a homeboy / maybe cause he’s tired of you saying / that one day, you’ll be home boy (lines 66–68)

• cause you never should have been here in the first place / but with him (lines 75–76)

Read line 2 of the poem.

"but gone before words cartwheeled off his tongue"

The imagery in this line suggests a young child —

• losing his balance

• yelling at his parent

• excited about learning to speak

• attempting to take his first steps

Read lines 7–14 of the poem. Based on these lines, the reader can reasonably infer that the speaker —

• feels he was overly protective when he was a new father

• enjoyed being a new father despite the challenges he faced

• was more frustrated by the challenges of fatherhood than he expected

• thinks children should show more appreciation for the sacrifices parents make

Which statement best paraphrases lines 20–25 of the poem?

• A. When people come to visit him at prison, the speaker feels like a character from a crime movie.

• B. Film portrayals of prisons are mostly accurate, but the speaker’s prison uses mirrors instead of Plexiglas.

• C. The speaker compares the experience and emotions of receiving a visit in prison with how they are portrayed in films.

• D. When he sees his son through the glass during a visit in prison, the speaker is saddened by how much his son looks like him.

Mark the box that correctly matches each line from the poem to the theme it supports.

• then baby-wiped your own tears when the chains came (line 14)

• Children have to take care of themselves when separated from their parents.

• don't show you the Plexi-glass aftermath

• Most people can’t understand the loneliness of being imprisoned.

• as you build a bond over a 15 minute collect call (line 57)

• It’s hard to strengthen relationships when communication is limited.

Read lines 37–39 of the poem.

praying to one day
see your son rise
then your son set

Which statement best explains the figurative meaning of the poet’s play on the words sunrise and sunset?

• The speaker wants to see his son grow up and get on the path to success.

• The speaker wants to be able to watch the sun rise and set with his son.

• The speaker wishes his son would visit for a whole day instead of a few hours.

• The speaker hopes to have another son and be present for his childhood.

Which statement best paraphrases lines 43–49 of the poem?

• Even though the speaker and his family are exhausted by their visits to the prison, he can never sleep after they leave.

• The speaker keeps track of every moment he spends with his family and every moment he is separated from them.

• The speaker wonders whether the visits are worth it because each visit is shorter than the time it takes his family to get there.

• After each visit, the speaker tries to remember every moment, while his family goes home saddened by what might have been.

Based on lines 55–62 of the poem, the reader can infer that the speaker —

• resents the fact that another man gets to act like a father to his son

• has a negative view of himself that he struggles to keep hidden

• is afraid that his son will eventually forget about him

• cares more about his son’s mother than his son

Read lines 66–68 of the poem.

sometimes, he hugs you like a homeboy
maybe cause he’s tired of you saying
that one day, you’ll be home boy

Which sentence best restates the meaning of these lines?

• The speaker tries to hug his son but his son rejects his affection.

• The speaker distances himself from his son because it’s too painful to hold on.

• The speaker’s son no longer treats the speaker with respect because he knows his father is lying about coming back.

• The speaker’s son sometimes treats the speaker like an acquaintance because he is losing faith in his father’s promises.