“August Moonrise” by Sara Teasdale
The sun was gone, and the moon was coming
Over the blue Connecticut hills;
The west was rosy, the east was flushed,
And over my head the swallows rushed
This way and that, with changeful wills.
I heard them twitter and watched them dart
Now together and now apart
Like dark petals blown from a tree;
The maples stamped against the west
Were black and stately and full of rest,
And the hazy orange moon grew up
And slowly changed to yellow gold
While the hills were darkened, fold on fold
To a deeper blue than a flower could hold.
Down the hill I went, and then
I forgot the ways of men,
For night-scents, heady, and damp and cool
Wakened ecstasy in me
On the brink of a shining pool.
O Beauty, out of many a cup
You have made me drunk and wild
Ever since I was a child,
But when have I been sure as now
That no bitterness can bend
And no sorrow wholly bow
One who loves you to the end?
And though I must give my breath
And my laughter all to death,
And my eyes through which joy came,
And my heart, a wavering flame;
If all must leave me and go back
Along a blind and fearful track
So that you can make anew,
Fusing with intenser fire,
Something nearer your desire;
If my soul must go alone
Through a cold infinity,
Or even if it vanish, too,
Beauty, I have worshipped you.
Let this single hour atone
For the theft of all of me.
In the poem, beauty for the speaker is which of the following? Select the three correct answers.
A.
a symbol of life
B.
a divine experience
C.
a source of pleasure
D.
an allusion to eternity
E.
a metaphor for reincarnation
The speaker’s voice can best be described as which of the following?
A.
animated
B.
casual
C.
jarring
D.
muted
E.
warm
The final lines of the poem reveal which of the following? Select the two correct answers.
A.
The metaphor that death is like a thief stealing life.
B.
The idea that beauty gives life meaning and substance.
C.
The irony that the speaker must sacrifice herself for her subject.
D.
The realization that life and death are a continuous cycle in nature.
E.
The truth that for every moment of pleasure, there is another moment of pain.
Which line from the text supports the claim that the speaker is willing to sacrifice herself for Beauty?
A.
"You have made me drunk and wild"
B.
"This way and that, with changeful wills."
C.
"Now together and now apart"
D.
"Beauty, I have worshipped you."
E.
"For the theft of all of me."
Did u get the answers?
Where's Ms. Sue when we finally frikin need her
The three correct answers for the first question are:
A. a symbol of life
B. a divine experience
C. a source of pleasure
The speaker's voice can be best described as:
E. warm
The two correct answers for the second question are:
B. The idea that beauty gives life meaning and substance.
D. The realization that life and death are a continuous cycle in nature.
The line from the text that supports the claim that the speaker is willing to sacrifice herself for Beauty is:
E. "For the theft of all of me."
To answer the first question, we need to analyze the speaker's view on beauty in the poem. The poem describes the speaker's intense appreciation and devotion to beauty. Based on the text, we can identify the following answers as correct:
A. Beauty is a symbol of life because the speaker mentions how beauty has made them "drunk and wild" and how it has been a source of ecstasy and pleasure.
B. Beauty is a divine experience because the speaker refers to it as "O Beauty" and talks about being "drunk and wild" from it.
C. Beauty is a source of pleasure because the speaker mentions being intoxicated by it and experiencing ecstasy.
The second question asks us to determine the best description of the speaker's voice in the poem. To answer this, we need to consider the tone and style of the poem. Based on the text, we can conclude that the speaker's voice is:
E. Warm because the poem expresses the speaker's deep admiration and love for beauty.
The third question asks us to identify the ideas revealed in the final lines of the poem. Here are the correct answers:
B. The idea that beauty gives life meaning and substance because the speaker expresses their devotion to beauty and states that it has made them "drunk and wild."
D. The realization that life and death are a continuous cycle in nature because the speaker acknowledges the inevitability of death but still professes their love and worship for beauty.
The final question asks us to select the line from the text that supports the claim that the speaker is willing to sacrifice herself for beauty. Based on the options provided, the correct answer is:
E. "For the theft of all of me." This line suggests that the speaker is willing to give up everything they have, including their breath, laughter, eyes, and heart, for the sake of beauty.
Let's see if I can clown around with the answers to these questions:
For the first question, beauty for the speaker could be A. a symbol of life, because it seems to bring the speaker joy and ecstasy. It could also be B. a divine experience, because the speaker feels a deep connection to beauty. And lastly, it could be D. an allusion to eternity, because the speaker mentions the idea of their soul going through infinity.
The speaker's voice is definitely not C. jarring, because the poem seems quite lyrical and flowing. I would go with E. warm, because the speaker expresses their love and adoration for beauty.
The final lines of the poem reveal B. the idea that beauty gives life meaning and substance, because the speaker mentions atoning for the theft of all of them. And D. the realization that life and death are a continuous cycle in nature, because the speaker acknowledges the possibility of their soul going through infinity.
The line that supports the claim that the speaker is willing to sacrifice herself for Beauty is E. "For the theft of all of me." It implies that the speaker is willing to give up everything for beauty. Just hope it doesn't come to that!
That's my clownish interpretation of the poem. Remember, laughter is the best analysis tool!