Wake Me Up When September Ends

The phrase “Wake me up when September ends” most likely symbolizes:

• Wanting to sleep through bad weather

• Avoiding the painful memories associated with a certain time of year

• A desire to hibernate like an animal

• Waiting for a school holiday

What does “The innocent can never last” suggest?

• Childhood and purity are temporary

• Innocent people often die young

• People should protect innocence

• Summer vacations are too short

In “Here comes the rain again / Falling from the stars”, the rain is a metaphor for:

• Bad weather ruining plans

• Pain and sadness falling from above

• Pollution in the sky

• A meteor shower

The reference to “Like my father’s come to pass” connects grief to:

• A historical event

• The death of a family member

• The end of summer

• A war

The contrast between “summer” and “September” in the song can symbolize:

• The difference between childhood and adulthood

• The difference between happiness and sorrow

• The difference between warmth and cold weather

• The difference between city life and rural life

The repetition of the line “Wake me up when September ends” serves to:

• Emphasize boredom

• Reinforce the speaker’s wish to avoid painful feelings

• Show that the speaker loves sleeping

• Suggest seasonal allergies

“Drenched in my pain again” uses which literary device?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Alliteration

• Hyperbole

The line “As my memory rests / But never forgets what I lost” shows:

• The speaker is trying to erase the past

• The speaker has found complete closure

• The speaker lives with grief even during periods of calm

• The speaker forgets most events

What effect does referencing both “seven years” and “twenty years” have?

• It confuses the listener

• It shows grief’s impact over different stages of life

• It creates a math puzzle

• It represents different types of weather

Why might “ring out the bells” be included in the song?

• To symbolize celebration of new life despite loss

• To refer to an actual holiday

• To warn people of a storm

• To mark the passing of a school year