Term test Review

9- how does the poet use figurative language to emphasize the theme of the poem?

• Tricky-trick question. It helped to split the answers into halves. Let’s look at the ends of the answers first:
• A— “…nothing is ever as bad as it may first appear”
• Could be right. The poem is about how the end of the century wasn’t as bad as the guy thought it would be.
• B— “…hope is always present even in the darkest of times.”
• Same, could be right. The guy found hope in the bird’s song even in the coldest, most sorrowful winter.
• C– “…death is an inevitable part of life.”
• Eh, kind of a stretch, since nothing is actually dying, just the century.
• D— “…salvation is found through companionship.”
• This one is no good. The guy isn’t saved by making a bird-friend. He and the bird don’t become friends, the guy just admires the song and finds hope in it. It’s not a Disney movie.

9- Between a and b

• Now let’s look at A and B as a whole:
• A— “The author uses hyperbole to emphasize that nothing is ever as bad as it may first appear.”
• So…what’s the hyperbole? What is being exaggerated? The coldness of the winter? No. The guy’s sadness? No. The bird’s song filling him with hope? No, no, no.
• B— “The author uses metaphor to emphasize that hope is always present even in the darkest times.”
• Ah, now there is a metaphor. The bird’s song is a metaphor for hope.
• SO, B IS CORRECT. It’s the only one that’s all-the-way-right.

10-Which analogical statement correctly illustrates the relationship between desolate and vibrant ?

• “The town, once vibrant and bustling, looked desolate in the aftermath of the flood.”
• How does a town look before and after a flood? Before: good/After: bad. So we know “vibrant” and “desolate” are antonyms (opposites).
• Correct: D— insecure and confident are antonyms
• Incorrect: A, B, C– these are all synonyms (same)