CXC English A (Practice Multiple Choice Activity # 1) - Poetry Comprehension



Instruction: Read the poem then answer the items on the basis of what is stated or implied.
Thoughts

What kind of thoughts now, do you carry
In your travels day by day
Are they bright and lofty visions,
Or neglected, gone astray?
Matters not how great in fancy,
Or what deeds of skill you’ve wrought;
Man, though high may be his station,
Is no better than his thoughts.
Catch your thoughts and hold them tightly,
Let each one an honor be;
Purge them, scourge them, burnish brightly,
Then in love set each one free.

Myra Viola Wilds

                                                                        This poem is in the public domain.

1. Why does the poet ask the questions in the first stanza?
        a. He is inquisitive and wants to know what we are thinking.
        b. He is curious to find out how confused we might be.
        c. He wants to have an idea about the quality of our thoughts.
        d. He wants to find out if our thoughts have changed overtime.

2. The poet uses the word "travels" (line 2) to
        a. reveal how adventurous we can be when we travel.
        b. show how often we travel on a daily basis.
        c. symbolize the different activities we are involved in as a part of life.
        d. highlight that we harbour negative thoughts about our travels.

3. The lines "are they bright and lofty visions/or neglected gone astray" (lines 3-4) create the
     impression that
        a. We have difficulty making decisions on a daily basis.
        b. We are easily distracted when we are travelling.
        c. We are always thinking about all they can acquire from life.
        d. We have diverse thoughts depending on our life experiences.

4. What does the word "station" (line 7) MOST likely refer to?
        a. A train station
        b. The height of a building
        c. The floor an office is located on
        d. The status of a person

5. Why does the poet say "man is no better than his thoughts" (line 8)?
        a. A human cannot achieve anything if he does not reflect.
        b. Only the actions of a man counts; his thoughts don’t matter.
        c. A man’s character is revealed by how he thinks.
        d. A man will not be appreciated if he does not express his thoughts.

6. "Catch your thoughts and hold them tightly" (line 9) is an example of
         a. metaphor
 b. simile
        c. irony
         d. repetition

7. The overall tone of the poem is BEST described as being
        a. didactic
        b. intrigued
        c. demanding
        d. condescending

8. The poem’s overall purpose is to
        a. invite us to examine the thoughts that we have.
        b. encourage readers to avoid confusing thoughts.
        c. instruct us to give our thoughts freedom.
        d. challenge us to transform our thoughts.

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