Tha Zin Poem Practice

City Autumn

The air breathes frost. A thin wind beats

Old dust and papers down gray streets

And blows brown leaves with curled‐up edges

At frightened sparrows on window ledges.

A snowflake falls like an errant feather:

A vagabond draws his cloak together,

And an old man totters past with a cane

Wondering if he’ll see spring again.

Questions

1. What does the old man in this poem wonder?

1. whether the streets need to be cleaned
2. whether the sparrows are frightened
3. whether he’ll see spring again
4. whether he should help the vagabond

2. In which part of the year is the scene in this poem set?

1. late autumn
2. early spring
3. late summer
4. early winter

3. And an old man totters past with a cane

Wondering if he’ll see spring again.

Based on these lines, what can you conclude about how the old man feels about autumn and winter?

1. He probably likes autumn and winter better than he likes spring.
2. He probably feels equally as positive about autumn and winter as he does about spring.
3. He probably feels uncertain that he will live through the autumn and winter.
4. He probably feels excited about the autumn and winter.

4. Where does this poem take place?

1. on a farm
2. in a small town
3. inside a house
4. in a city
   

5. What is this poem mainly about?  

1. a cold autumn day in a city
2. an old man who lives in a city
3. a vagabond who lives on a city street
4. the way dry, fallen leaves

Moonrise

Will you glimmer on the sea?     

Will you fling your spear-head   

On the shore?   

What note shall we pitch?           

We have a song,                      

On the bank we share our arrows—       

The loosed string tells our note:

O flight,              

Bring her swiftly to our song.     

She is great,              

We measure her by the pine-trees.

1. What is the first question that appears in this poem?

1. Will you glimmer on the sea?
2. Will you fling your spear-head on the shore?
3. When will the moon rise?
4. What note shall we pitch?

2. What is the setting of this poem?

1. This poem is set on a rocket traveling to the moon.
2. This poem is set on a bank near the sea.
3. This poem is set in the middle of the ocean.
4. This poem is set at the top of a pine-tree.

3. "What note shall we pitch?

We have a song,

On the bank we share our arrows—

The loosed string tells our note:"

Based on this evidence, what does the word "pitch" probably mean here?

1. Throw
2. Fall
3. Slope
4. Sing

4. "On the bank we share our arrows—

The loosed string tells our note:"

Based on this information, what probably happened to the arrows after they were shared?

1. They were fired from a bow.
2. They were dropped into the sea.
3. They were broken in half.
4. They were set aside for later use.

5. What is a theme of this poem?

1. Nature can create feelings of horror and disgust in people.
2. Nature can create feelings of sorrow and despair in people.
3. Nature can create feelings of anticipation and admiration in people.
4. Nature can create feelings of boredom and exhaustion in people.