The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica - Selection Test

Read lines 4–6 of the poem. the heady mix of smells from the open bins of dried codfish, the green plantains hanging in stalks like votive offerings, Which two senses does the imagery in these lines appeal to?

• A) Sight and smell

• B) Sight and touch

• C) Smell and taste

• D) Smell and touch

Tags

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

In lines 1–17 of the poem, the poet uses figurative language to compare the deli employee to —

• a memory

• an ancient queen

• an immigrant

• a religious figure

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

Read lines 18–28 of the poem. What is the role of this stanza within the overall structure of the poem?

• To show what the customers have in common

• To describe the diversity of the customers

• To compare the woman at the deli to others

• To define the job of the woman at the deli

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

Read lines 18–20 of the poem. all wanting the comfort of spoken Spanish, to gaze upon the family portrait of her plain wide face, her ample bosom Which two statements best explain why the shopkeeper’s face is described as a family portrait?

• The shop patrons are relatives of the shopkeeper.

• The shopkeeper’s face contrasts with the faces of shop patrons.

• The shopkeeper’s face reminds the shop patrons of their own relatives.

• The shopkeeper’s face prompts shop patrons to remember family portraits.

• The shop patrons feel a sense of kinship with the shopkeeper.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

How do these lines illustrate a major theme of the poem?

• They express the limitations that the immigrants experience.

• They show that the immigrants are in endless motion.

• They allude to the possibilities of romantic love.

• They depict the common experience of yearning for the familiar.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.8.2

What is the purpose of the imagery in these lines?

• To emphasize the simplicity of the items

• To teach the reader a common Spanish phrase

• To convey the monotony of the life of a shopkeeper

• To describe the daily operations of a neighborhood deli

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

How does the figurative language in these lines contribute to the meaning of the poem?

• It emphasizes the number of the grocery items.

• It amplifies the significance of the grocery items.

• It suggests that the man is demanding.

• It implies that the man is artistic.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

What can the reader infer is the main subject of the poem?

• The complexity of everyday events

• The nostalgia of Latin American immigrants

• The influence of immigrants on American culture

• The feeling of isolation that immigrants experience

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.8.2

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part B Which excerpt from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?

• Presiding over a formica counter, / plastic Mother and Child magnetized / to the top of an ancient register, (lines 1–3)

• how she smiles understanding, / when they walk down the narrow aisles of her store (lines 24–25)

• She spends her days / slicing jamón y queso and wrapping it in wax paper (lines 29–30)

• ... the fragile old man lost in the folds / of his winter coat, who brings her lists of items / that he reads to her like poetry ... (lines 33–35)

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

Read lines 36–38 of the poem. whose needs she must divine, conjuring up products from places that now exist only in their hearts— closed ports she must trade with. Which statement best explains why the customers’ hearts are described as closed ports?

• A) Some customers behave distantly toward the shopkeeper.

• B) Some customers want products that are unavailable in the shop.

• C) Some customers need the shopkeeper to make products that she is unable to find.

• D) Some customers refuse to place orders with the shopkeeper when they need items.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10