Mending Wall Selection Test

How does the structure of the poem contribute to the poet's purpose?

• It uses rhyme to create a musical effect.

• It uses short lines to create suspense.

• It uses dialogue to show conflict.

• It uses repetition to emphasize ideas.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read line 16 of the poem. The poet repeats the word each to suggest the —

• division between the neighbors

• importance of the wall

• difficulty of the task

• beauty of the landscape

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

In line 27 of the poem, the phrase "Good fences make good neighbors" is included to —

• show the poet's agreement with the neighbor

• suggest the wall is unnecessary

• emphasize the neighbor's belief

• question the value of tradition

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Read line 33 of the poem. The poet uses alliteration, the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words, in this line to —

• create a musical effect

• draw attention to the poet's thoughts

• emphasize the wall's strength

• suggest confusion

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

The diction in lines 25–34 contributes to the tone of the poem by suggesting a sense of —

• mystery

• anger

• joy

• fear

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Lines 30–34 highlight the poet's message by —

• questioning the need for barriers

• describing the beauty of nature

• showing the neighbor's stubbornness

• emphasizing tradition

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Read lines 39–40 of the poem. The poet uses a simile, a comparison using the words like or as, in these lines to —

• show the neighbor's strength

• suggest the neighbor is dangerous

• compare the neighbor to a primitive person

• emphasize the weight of the stones

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

The poet’s use of us and we throughout the poem establishes the mood by suggesting the —

• poet's isolation

• neighbor's anger

• sense of community

• importance of tradition

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

What is the role of the hunters and their dogs in the poem? Cite evidence from the poem in your answer.

• The hunters and their dogs provide the reason for the speaker and his neighbor to come together every year. The work of hunters is another thing: / I have come after them and made repair / Where they have left not one stone on a stone. The speaker describes the gaps left behind where the dogs seek the rabbits. Even though the speaker does not see the hunters, he sees evidence of their activity every year. But at spring mending-time we find them there. Because of the hunters, the speaker seeks out his neighbor to meet and repair the wall. And on a day we meet to walk the line / And set the wall between us once again. It is during this latest meeting that the speaker begins to think about the purpose of the wall.

• The hunters and their dogs symbolize the changing seasons and the passage of time, as they are only mentioned in the winter months.

• The hunters and their dogs are a metaphor for the speaker's lost childhood, representing memories that cannot be reclaimed.

• The hunters and their dogs are responsible for maintaining the wall, as they carefully rebuild it after every hunt.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which feature of the poem is unique to blank verse poetry?

• Rhyme scheme

• Regular meter

• Unrhymed lines

• Refrain

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.11

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9