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Worksheets

Sympathy

Total questions: 14

Worksheet time: 4hrs 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Why is the "bud" compared with the "chalice" in the poem Sympathy?

a)

because of its scent

b)

because of its contents

c)

because of its shape

d)

because of its colour

2.

The bird has old, old scars because

a)

it desires to fly in the sky

b)

it has not been cared for properly.

c)

it is trapped in the cage for a long time

3.

What kind of song does the caged bird sing?

a)

Prayer to heaven for deliverance

b)

Carol of joy

c)

A song of lament

4.

The poem ‘Sympathy’ is written by——

a)

William Makepeace Thackeray

b)

Paul Laurence Dunbar

c)

Maya Angelou

5.

From the caged bird's point of view, what does the world outside the cage represent?

a)

spring

b)

freedom

c)

happiness

d)

death

6.

According to the speaker in “Sympathy,” how does the caged bird feel?

a)

bright, happy, perfumed

b)

alarmed, shamed, fearful

c)

constrained, oppressed, imprisoned

d)

faint, clinging, ill

7.

Which of the following BEST explains the title “Sympathy”?

a)

The speaker feels bad for the caged bird because of its injuries.

b)

The speaker also shares the caged bird’s desire for freedom.

c)

The speaker is critical of the caged bird’s reasons for singing.

d)

The speaker admires the caged bird’s courage.

8.

"they pulse again with a keener sting—

I know why he beats his wing!" these lines in the poem “Sympathy” suggest that...

a)

the bird is so crippled it will never be able to enjoy freedom.

b)

the bird has not given up hope despite a lifetime of captivity.

c)

as the bird gets older, its desire for freedom increases.

d)

the bird could enjoy its captivity if only it would stop fighting.

9.

In "Sympathy", "When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore", lines mean?

a)

it is old and happy

b)

it is wounded and sad

c)

it is tired and sleeping

d)

it is enjoying the cage

10.

"When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,

And the river flows like a stream of glass", what does these lines refer to?

a)

the imaginary land of the bird

b)

the outside world is beautiful and allows freedom

c)

the world of the cage saves the bird from being attacked

11.

"But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core, " what prayer do you think the bird is saying?

a)

asking for forgiveness

b)

asking for liberation

c)

asking for a life in the cage

12.

"Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;" Why has the bars turned red? Explain in your own words.

4 lines
13.

Why is the birds song not "a carol of joy or glee"? Explain in your own words.

4 lines
14.

When he beats his _______ and he would be ________.

a)

head, dead

b)

wings, wounded

c)

bars, free

d)

wings, free