Q.1
To whom is this poem addressed?
  • All good men
  • All wise men
  • The narrator's father
  • The poem is not addressed to anyone
Q.2
In which stanza does the reader learn who is addressed by the poem?
  • First stanza
  • Third stanza
  • Fifth stanza
  • Sixth stanza
Q.3
'The dying of the light' is a metaphor for...
  • sunset
  • peaceful sleep
  • death
  • an argument
Q.4
In the second stanza, what does the poet mean by 'wise men at their end know dark is right'?
  • Wise men know they shouldn't fight death
  • Wise men know that death will win the argument / debate
  • Wise men have decided to calmly accept death
  • Wise men believe that darkness is better than light
Q.5
Wise men's words have 'no forked lightning'. Which other phrase emphasizes the weak and temporary nature of human achievements?
  • 'Rave at the close of day'
  • 'Their frail deeds might have danced'
  • 'Caught and sang the sun'
  • 'Who see with blinding sight'
Q.6
With which of the following sentences would the 'wild men' most likely agree?
  • Life should be lived passionately and 'in the moment'
  • Life should pass by like the sun passes overhead
  • Life should be lived cautiously
  • Life should be lived quietly
Q.7
In the fifth stanza, what is the significance of the word 'grave'?
  • The poet is pointing out that the men are dead and in the grave
  • The poet is writing about gravediggers in this stanza
  • 'Grave' men are compared with 'wise', 'good' and 'wild' men; also reminds the reader of the grave
  • There is no significance in the use of this word
Q.8
'Blind eyes could blaze like meteors' - what is the effect of this simile?
  • It contrasts the lightlessness of blind eyes with the blazing brightness of meteors
  • It reminds the reader that men, like meteors, are failing and falling into death
  • It reinforces the call to 'rage, rage against the dying of the light'
  • All of the above
Q.9
In the extended metaphor of this poem, life is considered to be...
  • darkness
  • unbearable
  • the span of one day
  • a full season
Q.10
The repetition of consonant sounds in words is called 'consonance' (when this occurs at the beginnings of words, it is called 'alliteration'). This poem depends on consonance for its hard, harsh, angry effect. Which of the following lines is a good example of consonance being used for a harsh effect?
  • Rage, rage against the dying of the light
  • And you, my father, there on that sad height
  • Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray
  • All of the above
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