1 What is the official title of this poem? "Mother" The poem is untitled and so the first line is used to refer to the poem "Distance" "Mother, May I" 2 What collection does this poem come from? The Owl and the Nightingale Book of Matches Seeing Stars Zoom! 3 When was the collection published? 1986 2003 1993 2002 4 Finish this line: "Mother, any distance greater___" than a certain span than a single span longer than my hand than five acres 5 In the poem, the word "hands" is a ___? Simile Metaphor Synecdoche Metonym 6 What is a metaphor? The repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line Poetic device where an object in, or the subject of, a poem is described as being the same as another otherwise unrelated object When the subject of the poem is described by comparing it to another object or subject, using 'as' or 'like' A figure of speech in which a related term is substituted for the word itself 7 Define synecdoche. Poetic device where an object in, or the subject of, a poem is described as being the same as another otherwise unrelated object A literary device where a word for a small component of something can stand in rhetorically for the larger whole A figure of speech in which a related term is substituted for the word itself Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally 8 What does the speaker's mother help him do? Write a poem. Measure the floors, walls, and fixtures in a house. Save his grade. Build a house. 9 Fill in the missing words: "the ___ of the walls, the ___ of the floors." smoothness...wetness miles...desert prairies...acres acres...prairies 10 Where is the mother situated as they measure? The mother accompanies the speaker through the house. The mother wanders upstairs after the speaker takes too long to report back measurements. The mother stands at the "zero-end," or the base of the measuring tape on the third floor of the house. The mother stands at the "zero-end," or the base of the measuring tape on the first floor of the house. 11 What does the line "[unreel]" between the speaker and his mother? Anger Measurements Years Love 12 What is the poem's meter? Common meter Iambic pentameter Blank verse Free verse 13 What two objects are used to describe the speaker's relationship with his mother? A safety tether and a chain A measuring tape and a rope An umbilical cord and a string An anchor and a kite 14 Which is an example of alliteration? single span feeding out, unreeling space-walk reporting metres 15 What is alliteration? When two or more words in a line or verse of a poem start with the same letter or sound Poetic device where an object in, or the subject of, a poem is described as being the same as another otherwise unrelated object A figure of speech in which a related term is substituted for the word itself The repetition of the vowel sound across words within the lines of the poem creating internal rhymes 16 What poetic form is this poem in conversation with? Sonnet Sestina Villanelle Ode 17 Which of the following adds a layer of complexity to the speaker's relationship with his mother? The way the floors are described as prairies The way the speaker measures windows Describing the way the mother pinches the last one-hundredth of an inch of tape The way the mother stands at the zero-end 18 Describe the syllabic classification of the word "mother." Iamb: unstressed syllable followed by stressed Iamb: stressed syllable followed by unstressed Trochee: stressed syllable followed by unstressed Dactyl: stressed syllable followed by two unstressed 19 What is a pelmet? A measuring device A narrow border of cloth or wood, fitted across the top of a door or window to conceal the curtain fittings. A weapon A hard or padded protective hat 20 What do anchors, kites, and astronauts have in common? They all are toys They involve a connection via a string, rope, tether, or chain One must have a lot of experience to use them They all are dangerous 21 When the speaker climbs the ladder to the loft, what happens? He reaches the breaking point in his relationship with his mother He finishes all his measurements He decides to walk back downstairs He expresses gratitude to his mother 22 Which is an example of alliteration? Anchor. Kite. I reach to fall or fly. towards a hatch 23 Which is not a theme in this poem? Taking Care of the Elderly Love and Distance Relationship to Mother Coming of Age 24 What does the speaker do when he gets to the loft of the house? He flies a kite He smokes a cigarette He climbs onto the roof He reaches towards a hatch that opens on an endless sky 25 What does the sky represent? The speaker's relationship with his mother A childhood sense of adventure The known and comfortable The endless possibilities for success and failure that come with being an adult
