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Name _____________________________________________________ Date ________________“A Psalm of Life” and “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Critical ReadingChoose the one best answer.1. Which of these statements is a central message of “A Psalm of Life”?a. Life is the first step in a long journey.b. Life is not worth living without love.c. Life is but an empty dream.d. People can inspire other people’s lives.2. “A Psalm of Life” urges people toa. sleep.b. act.c. march to the same tune.d. mourn.3. Which word best describes the attitude toward life expressed in “A Psalm of Life”?a. acceptingb. depressedc. cynicald. optimistic4. What do these lines from “A Psalm of Life” imply?Dust thou art, to dust returnest, / Was not spoken of the soul.a. The dead become the soil in which new life grows.b. It is a mistake to say “Dust thou art, to dust returnest” at a funeral.c. At a funeral, not a soul is present who doesn’t respect the solemn occasion.d. The soul lives on, even though the body dies.5. The four-line stanzas in “A Psalm of Life” are called _______.a. coupletsb. quadrupletsc. quatrainsd. cinquains6. In “A Psalm of Life,” what broader meaning does the image of the “footprints on thesands of time” most likely represent?a. a long, hot walkb. deeds done while alivec. sins of our ancestorsd. human efforts to stop the passage of time7. What broader meaning might the image of the “shipwrecked brother” in “A Psalm ofLife” represent?a. any human being in difficultyb. a sibling who needs your helpc. a sailor whose ship has been severely damagedd. poets of the world8. In “A Psalm of Life,” what broader meaning in the context of life’s journey might be conveyed by this stanza?In the world’s broad field of battle,In the bivouac of Life,Be not like dumb, driven cattle!Be a hero in the strife!a. There is strength in numbers.b. Because life is a painful but temporary struggle, heroes welcome the peace of eternity.c. People should display some individualism in their lives.d. To the victor belong the spoils, or benefits, of any battle.9. “A Psalm of Life” stresses the idea thata. life is very short.b. everyone experiences death.c. anyone can be a hero.d. experience is all important.10. In “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls,” when does the curlew call?a. dawnb. noonc. twilightd. midnight11. Which statement best expresses the theme of “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”?a. Life and death are beyond human control.b. Human life is short, but nature is eternal.c. Humans, like nature itself, are resilient.d. Human emotions have no place in the natural world.12. Which word best describes Longfellow’s attitude toward death in “The Tide Rises,The Tide Falls”?a. acceptingb. welcomingc. frightenedd. awestruck13. The five-line stanzas of “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” are called _______.a. coupletsb. quatrainsc. pentanesd. cinquains14. Which statement does not apply to the stanzas in “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”?a. Each stanza describes a different time of day.b. The stanzas have no regular pattern of rhyme.c. The stanzas attempt to capture the rhythm of the tide.d. The same final line is repeated in each stanza.15. What broader meaning might be signified by the image of the tide in the line, “And the tide rises, the tide falls”?a. human pollution of natural wondersb. life before birthc. life’s cyclical, enduring natured. people or ideas left stranded because of human indifferenceUnit 3: A Growing Nation(1800–1870) Vocabulary and GrammarOn the line, write the letter of the one best answer.16. In “A Psalm of Life,” what does the phrase “the bivouac of Life” mean?a. a temporary state of existenceb. a loud and boisterous partyc. a sturdy, well-built housed. a war-torn country17. What do the waves do to the footprints in these lines?The little waves, with their soft, white hands, / Efface the footprints in the sandsa. wipe them outb. dampen themc. surprise themd. etch them in permanently18. What does the line “We can make our lives sublime” mean?a. We can live longer.b. We should recognize what goes on below the surface of our lives.c. We can improve our intelligence.d. Our lives can be inspiring.19. What is the subject in this sentence?Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, / Is our destined end or waya. enjoymentb. sorrowc. enjoyment and sorrow (compound subject)d. end or way (compound subject)20. Which of the following choices most accurately describes the effect of the inverted order in these lines?The day returns, but nevermore / Returns the traveler to the shorea. Placing the subject after the verb creates an additional rhyme.b. Placing the subject after the verb creates a more regular rhythm.c. Placing the subject after the verb emphasizes the word day.d. Placing the subject after the verb imparts a more elevated tone.Essay Questions21. In several of his written works, Longfellow uses the image of the sea. In a brief essay, discuss how the sea can be used to represent life and death. Include general examples of how the sea might be depicted as a bringer of life or death. Also include more specific examples from “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls.”22. Although Longfellow uses the image of footprints in the sand in both of the poems in your textbook, there are differences in the way the image is used. Discuss the footprint imagery in each poem. Then compare and contrast the use of the image in the two poems, considering not only its meaning but its effectiveness.23. Images of death are central to both of the Longfellow poems. How is the depiction of death in each poem similar? How is it different? What feelings do you get from the imagery that Longfellow uses to convey his ideas about death? Address these questions in an essay that compares and contrasts the two poems’ views of death. ................
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