Question 1

1.  How does the poet's use of the words "sanities", "levelness",  and "rational" affect the tone of the poem?

Accepted Answer

She purposefully chooses words which sound neutral to convey the idea of uniformity in suburban life

Answer

She purposefully chooses words which are nostalgic and remind the audience of the past

Answer

She purposefully chooses words which convey a sense of urgency about urban problems

Answer

She purposefully chooses words which will persuade and advise the audience against spontaneity

Question 2

2.  What does the phrase "rational whine" mean in line 11?

Accepted Answer

a routine activity

Answer

unseen distractions

Answer

unusual designs

Answer

a broken machine

Question 3

3.  What is the purpose of the figurative language in lines 11-12?

Accepted Answer

to show how nature is not easily forced into a patter

Answer

to show how badly the landscape has been maintained

Answer

to show how the equipment is unable to operate correctly

Answer

to show how much the speaker dislikes yard work

Question 4

4.  Which phrase provides a contrast to the uniformity of the neighborhood

Accepted Answer

"a splash of paint on brick as surprising as a bruise"

Answer

"the too-fixed stare of the wide windows"

Answer

"a plastic hose poised in a vicious coil"

Answer

"the roofs all display/ the same slant of avoidance"

Question 5

5.  How does the poem's structure reveal conflicts between the ideals of the speaker and those of the city planners?

Accepted Answer

The speaker's complaints in the opening stanzas transition to the adverse description of the City Planners in the last stanzas

Answer

The long stanzas reveal positive memories for the speaker, and the short stanzas convey negative remarks about the City Planners

Answer

Each stanza presents an unbiased view of the speaker's emotions and then a biased interpretation of the City Planner's actions

Answer

Each stanza provides lengthy descriptions of City Planner's thoughts and minimal descriptions of the speaker's motivations

Question 6

6.  How does the Poet's use of personification affect the poem?

Accepted Answer

It introduces a sense of suspense and a negative tone

Answer

It causes curiosity about what will happen to the houses

Answer

It directs the focus to the condition of the streets

Answer

It reinforces a sympathetic and emotional mood

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