WorksheetsPoetry Quiz: Teenagers by Pat Mora
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 6mins
In the line 'One day they disappear into their rooms. Doors and lips shut,' what is the figurative meaning of 'lips shut'?
Teenagers are refusing to talk to their parents.
Teenagers are falling asleep.
Teenagers are eating quietly.
Teenagers are learning a new language.
The phrase 'we become strangers in our own home' suggests—
The family has moved to a new house.
Parents feel distant from their teenagers.
Teenagers no longer live at home.
Parents forget their children’s names.
What literary device is used in 'a code I knew but can’t remember'?
Hyperbole
Personification
Metaphor
Simile
The line 'mouthed by mouths I taught to speak' conveys what feeling from the parent?
Pride in their child’s language skills
Confusion about losing connection
Relief that the child is independent
Humor at the child’s behavior
In 'faces I once held, open as sunflowers in my hands,' the sunflower image most likely symbolizes—
Growth and openness during childhood
The teenager’s favorite flower
A memory of planting a garden together
Fragility and weakness
What is the speaker’s tone in this excerpt?
Angry and bitter
Reflective and longing
Humorous and playful
Neutral and detached
Which of these BEST expresses the central idea of the poem?
Teenagers should spend more time in their rooms.
Parents are saddened but also amazed by the transformation of their children as they grow.
Teenagers always argue with their parents.
Parents forget how their teenagers behave.
The figurative language in 'glowing almost like pearls' contributes to the meaning by—
Showing that teenagers are expensive to care for.
Suggesting that teenagers are rare, beautiful, and precious.
Comparing teenagers to jewelry collections.
Describing how teenagers like shiny objects.
If you were revising the last stanza for clarity (TEKS 6.10Div), what detail could you add to strengthen the meaning?
A description of the parent’s childhood memories
A comparison showing how much taller the teenagers are now
A list of the teenagers’ hobbies and favorite foods
A funny story about a family vacation
Which line from the poem best illustrates the theme of growing distance between parents and teenagers?
'They ask for help with their homework.'
'The house is filled with music and noise.'
'We laugh together at the dinner table.'
'One day they disappear into their rooms.'
What emotion does the parent most likely feel when recalling 'faces I once held, open as sunflowers'?
Annoyance at the teenager's behavior
Confusion about the future
Nostalgia for the past closeness
Joy at their child's independence
How does the use of figurative language in the poem affect its overall meaning?
It emphasizes the emotional distance and change in relationships.
It makes the poem more humorous and lighthearted.
It focuses on the physical appearance of the teenagers.
It describes the family's daily routine in detail.
