Upon The Burning Of Our House
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Comprehension quiz on Bradstreet's poem
- 1.In her poem, Bradstreet mostly criticizes herself for-
- A.
Losing her faith in God's goodness
- B.
Failing to react quickly in an emergency
- C.
Not taking proper precautions against fire hazards
- D.
Valuing material possessions too much
- 2.Bradstreet emphasizes both the things she has lost and-
- A.
The people who escaped the fire
- B.
The new home that neighbors are building for her
- C.
Her memories of happy occasions in the house
- D.
The items she has rescued from the flames
- 3.When Bradstreet writes, "I blest His name that gave and took..." she implies that-
- A.
She is being punished for the sin of vanity
- B.
Material objects are ultimately God's and not her
- C.
She secretly wants all her possessions to vanish
- D.
God will be appeased if she says a prayer to Him
- 4.
- A.
Whatever is destroyed can soon be rebuilt
- B.
God has prepared an eternal dwelling place for all believers
- C.
She is bitter about those people who still have homes
- D.
One should dwell upon the good things in life
- 5.Bradstreet's views might be described as spiritual because she-
- A.
Repeatedly refers to God and His will
- B.
Emphasizes that real value cannot be found in earthly things
- C.
Writes movingly of the things she lost
- D.
Clearly explains how a person feels after a disaster
- 6.What was the "thund'ring noise" that woke Bradstreet?
- A.
A clap of lightning
- B.
The drums of English soldiers
- C.
The burning of her home
- D.
A raging river
- 7.In this poem, who is the "mighty Architect"?
- A.
Bradstreet's Uncle
- B.
A kindly Puritan
- C.
God
- D.
The man who built Bradstreet's house
- 8.In the last five lines, what does Bradstreet wish to no longer love?
- A.
Possessions
- B.
Human beings
- C.
Those who set the fire
- D.
Glory
- 9.Which of the following excerpts is the best example of inversion?
- A.
"My hope and treaseure lies above."
- B.
"And them behold no more shall I."
- C.
"Thou has an house on high erect..."
- D.
"No candle e'er shall shine in thee..."
- 10.Which of the following word groups is not an example of inversion?
- A.
"In silent night when rest I took..."
- B.
"For sorrow near I did not look..."
- C.
"I wakened was with thund'ring noise..."
- D.
"And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice."
- 11.Plain style can be distinguished from high style because Plain style-
- A.
Uses specific terminology commonly employed in farming
- B.
Emphasizes uncomplicated sentences and uses words from common speech.
- C.
Was originially employed in the flat, treeless regions of the Great Plains
- D.
Employs a profound spiritual or religious tone
- 12.In the last part of this poem, Bradstreet uses house as a metaphor for -
- A.
The afterlife
- B.
The things she has lost
- C.
God
- D.
Friends and family
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