1 Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of "since feeling is first"? Love is but an illusion. You must be conscious of the consequences of your actions. Both in love and in life, you must prioritize feeling over thinking. Wisdom is the highest virtue. 2 What does "syntax" stand for in the poem? Reason Emotion Love Inefficiency 3 Why is the person "who pays any attention to the syntax of things" unable to "wholly kiss" the addressee? Because the addressee dislikes people who study syntax and grammar Because this person has a short attention span Because this person is too emotional for the addressee Because a kiss requires feeling, and this person prioritizes reason over feeling 4 Which of the following best describes the form and meter of this poem? Ballad meter Free verse Sonnet Blank verse 5 Which of the following is not a major theme of this poem? Love Religion Life and death Language 6 Which of the following does NOT contain an example of alliteration or consonance? "laugh, leaning” “eyelids’ flutter” “feeling is first” “death i think is no parenthesis” 7 What is ironic about this poem? Cummings uses syntax to write this poem. The speaker does not actually love the addressee. We know, but the speaker does not, that this love is going to fail. It is not actually about feeling. 8 Which of the following best describes the structure of this poem? Following a linear narrative Heavily based on repetition Evocative of the structure of another poem Loose; resisting a narrative structure 9 Which of the following is a personification? “my blood approves" "kisses are a better fate" "life's not a paragraph" "i swear by all flowers" 10 Which of the following does NOT accurately describe the tone of the speaker? Pessimistic Affectionate Philosophical Assertive 11 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem? Pastoral Intergalactic Unspecified, abstract Urban 12 Which of the following is not an example of synecdoche in this poem? “my brain” “my blood” “your eyelids’” "Spring is in the world" 13 "Spring" symbolize which of the following? Death, trauma, and pain Aging, senility, and vulnerability Fertility, vitality, and youth War, violence, and discord 14 Which of the following is NOT a symbolic meaning that "flowers" may have in this poem? Fertility Artificiality Nature Ephemerality 15 Which of the following best describes the word play between "Spring" and "blood"? Hot water "springs" are good for "blood" circulation. "Spring" is a "bloody" season. "Blood" can "spring" forth. The speaker is trying to be resilient like a "spring" after witnessing "bloodshed" and violence. 16 What does the speaker mean when they say "death i think is no parenthesis"? Death is not something we should keep in mind in everyday life. What happens after death is a mystery. Death is an inevitable part of the human experience. Death is something that can be ignored. 17 How is the lady's attitude different from that of the speaker? She is less optimistic. She is more religious. She is more aggressive. She believes in logic and reason. 18 "since feeling is first" was published in which of the following books? EIMI Tulips & Chimneys The Enormous Room is 5 19 In what year was this poem published? 1936 1916 1946 1926 20 Which of the following best describes the collection in which this poem was published? Kitsch and cheesy Traditional and conforming Experimental and unconventional Violent and gory 21 Which of the following is an example of mathematical language within the poem? "we are for each other" "wholly to be a fool" "i swear by all flowers" "[...] is less than [...]" 22 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes the use of the word "wholly" in the poem? It is repeated twice. It is evocative of the word "holy." It is used in an alliteration. It evokes a sense of holiness and sacredness in addition to perfection. 23 "the best gesture of my brain is less than / your eyelids’ flutter" is an example of which of the following? Asyndeton Alliteration Synecdoche Personification 24 "laugh, leaning back in my arms / for life’s not a paragraph" does NOT contain which of the following? Sarcasm Metaphor Alliteration Synecdoche 25 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes the use of the word "paragraph" in this poem? It is antithetical to the word "syntax" in an earlier stanza. It may symbolize the simplicity of linguistic constructs. It is parallel to the word "parenthesis" in the subsequent line. It may symbolize the artificiality of linguistic constructs.