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WorksheetsEnglish II Paired Passage Dance Off
Total questions: 17
Worksheet time: 1hrs 12mins
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent”
In which lines does the poet use personification to create a somber mood?
Lines 3 through 5
Lines 9 and 10
Lines 17 through 19
Lines 28 and 29
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent”
Lines 20 and 21 suggest that the speaker —
wants to be honest about how little he understands the creative impulse
does not want to mislead his daughter into believing that she has special talent
is now willing to risk hurting his daughter’s self-esteem by telling her the truth about her work
wants to admit his confusion about the sometimes-stifling life choices that creative people make
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent”
Read lines 26 and 27 from the poem.
when the sky is a surreal sea in which you drown . . .
This image can best be interpreted as meaning that —
a child sees the sky as a magical ocean full of mysterious creatures
the speaker hopes to save his daughter from a terrible future
artists experience a sea of wild and unpredictable emotions
there is a danger that artists may get lost in their own creations
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent”
The final line of the poem suggests that —
the daughter will develop an interest in more practical pursuits as she matures
the speaker expects his daughter’s art to transform as she grows older
the daughter’s paintings will become more whimsical as she develops her technical skills
the speaker believes that his daughter will one day be a successful professional artist
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent”
Which sentence describes a shift in the poem’s focus?
In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s creative struggles, while in stanza 2, he imagines her eventual success as an artist.
In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s paintings, while in stanza 2, he describes his own artwork.
In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s art as an expression of childhood, while in stanza 2, he considers her future as a mature artist.
In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s early artistic success, while in stanza 2, he questions whether she should pursue a career as a painter.
Big Fish
Read paragraph 15.
His old scaly hand crawls over to touch my knee. His fingers are white, the nails cracking and dull, like old silver.
In this paragraph, the author uses imagery to —
show the son’s fear of being touched by his father
imply that the father may not really be dying after all
emphasize how aged and decrepit the father appears to his son
suggest that the son has little respect for his father
Big Fish
What does paragraph 16 reveal about the son?
He blames himself for his father’s long absences.
He thinks his father never gave them the opportunity to be close.
He is too willing to forgive his father for lying.
He is unwilling to share what he knows with his father.
Big Fish
Which line of dialogue provides the best evidence that the father is questioning his priorities?
“Now all that seems so unimportant, you know?”
“Remembering a man’s stories makes him immortal, did you know that?”
“I had dinner with a prime minister once, William.”
“I wasn’t going to tell you about the two-headed lady, Mr. Smarty-pants,” he says.
Big Fish
In paragraphs 3 through 5, the phrases “Let me guess” and “no doubt” give the son’s dialogue a tone that is —
naive
hypercritical
indignant
sarcastic
Big Fish
Paragraph 17 suggests that the son is motivated to listen to his father because —
he values his father’s advice
he regrets not paying attention to his father in the past
he believes his father is dying
he believes his father will tell him a secret
Big Fish
Which sentence best describes the father’s moral dilemma?
He must choose between impressing his son with outlandish stories and admitting that he
is a financial failure.
He must resolve feelings about his failure to persuade his son to follow in his footsteps.
He must decide whether to continue to pursue his dreams or devote himself to helping his
son.
He must reconcile his lifelong desire to be important with the knowledge that he neglected his family.
Big Fish
Paragraph 20 reveals that the father views his childhood home of Ashland as —
a place of tremendous comfort
a place with limited opportunities
the best place to raise a family
a place of haunting memories
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and Big Fish
Read these quotations from the two selections.
To a Daughter with Artistic Talent
"And you never know why (I was lying before when I said I knew)."
Big Fish
"I don’t know what makes a man great. I’ve never thought about it before."
These quotations provide evidence that both the speaker in “To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and the narrator in the excerpt from Big Fish feel —
as though they must prove something
embarrassed by their ignorance
compelled to admit their mistakes
challenged to explain something difficult
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and Big Fish
What is a difference in how the two selections portray fathers?
While the father in “To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” is optimistic, the father in the excerpt from Big Fish is cynical.
While the father in “To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” seems caring, the father in the excerpt from Big Fish seems self-centered.
While the father in “To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” is open-minded, the father in the excerpt from Big Fish is judgmental.
While the father in “To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” seems defensive, the father in the excerpt from Big Fish seems relaxed.
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and Big Fish
Both the daughter’s paintings in “To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and the father’s stories in the excerpt from Big Fish —
depict a world that seems more fanciful than realistic
ontain imagery drawn from well-known fairy tales
are difficult for others to understand
portray heroic characters
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and Big Fish
Read these quotations.
To a Daughter with Artistic Talent
You have painted every day
for as long as I can remember
and will be painting still
when you read this, some cold
and distant December when the child is old and the trees no longer silver but black fingers scratching a grey sky.
Big Fish
“No,” he says. Then, “Yes. I don’t know. At least you remembered. The point is, I think—the point is I tried to get home more. I did. Things happened, though. Natural disasters. The earth split once I think, the sky opened several times. Sometimes I barely made it out alive.”
Both quotations use imagery that conveys a sense of —
inner turmoil
stubbornness
guilt
exaggerated self-confidence
“To a Daughter with Artistic Talent” and Big Fish
Which sentence best states a difference between the attitude of the speaker in the poem and the attitude of the narrator in the story?
The speaker in the poem worries that his daughter gets carried away by her imagination, while the narrator in the story admires the way his father uses his imagination.
The speaker in the poem believes that his daughter paints to express her true feelings, while the narrator in the story believes that his father tells stories to escape reality.
The speaker in the poem thinks his daughter paints to bring them closer together, while
the narrator in the story thinks his father tells stories to distance himself from others.
The speaker in the poem believes that painting is good for his daughter’s health, while the narrator in the story worries that his father’s stories are a symptom of illness.
