On Turning 10

Which of the following best summarizes a theme of the poem?

• 1. Imagination is constrained by age.

• 1. Nature reflects the human cycle of life.

• 1. Growing up means letting go of the carefree innocence of childhood.

• 1. Growing old is a universal fear, even though it feels unique to the individual.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.7.2

How does turning ten affect the speaker?

• 1. He wishes that he were already an adult.

• 1. He feels like the best part of his life is over.

• He is looking forward to becoming a teenager

• 1. He feels excited that he is turning the first big number.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

Reread lines 5-7: "a kind of measles of the spirit, / a mumps of the psyche, / a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul." What does this description reveal about the speaker's attitude towards aging?

• 1. The speaker feels physically nauseated by age and older people.

• The speaker fears aging because he associates it with sickness and dying

• 1. The speaker likens aging to sickness, believing it to be a physically arduous process.

• 1. The speaker compares his feelings about growing up to sickness, suggesting that he does not have a positive outlook on it.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

Which of the following best describes the tone of stanza 3?

• 1. anxious

• 1. hopeful

• 1. humorous

• 1. sullen

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.7.10

Which detail contributes to the solemn mood of the poem?

• 1. "But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit" (Line 12)

• 1. "At four I was an Arabian wizard." (Line 13)

• 1. "This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself" (Line 24)

• 1. "If you cut me I could shine " (Line 30)

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.8.4