Emily Dickinson's Poetry Answers

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1
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A clergyman is an official leader within an organized religion. Why does Dickinson call God “a noted Clergyman” in "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church"?

A
She is trying to convince readers of the seriousness of her worship.
B
She is expressing her respect for the members of the church clergy.
C
She is poking gentle fun by suggesting that God is the supreme clergy.
D
She is expressing appreciation for those who discuss God with others.
2
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What does the first stanza of "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" suggest about the speaker’s view of religious customs?

A
She does not believe in creating religious customs.
B
She participates in religious customs in an unconventional way.
C
She finds religious customs to be tedious.
D
She participates only in religious customs that relate to nature.
3

How do the settings of "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" differ?

A
Traveling in the former represents a journey toward death, while the setting of the latter shows that the speaker is well grounded.
B
The landscape in the former represents a worshipful attitude toward nature, while the natural setting is only symbolic in the latter.
C
The setting of the former is separate from the poem’s themes, while the setting of the latter is merely a backdrop for a larger theme.
D
The countryside setting in the former creates a dreamlike mood, while the setting of the latter creates a mood of artificial happiness.
4

How are the moods of "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" different?

A
The former has an anxious mood, while the latter has a joyful mood.
B
The former has a serious mood, while the latter has a lighter mood.
C
The former has an angry mood, while the latter has a celebratory mood.
D
The former has a tense mood, while the latter has a suspenseful mood.
5

What is similar about the subjects of "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" and "Because I Could Not Stop for Death"?

A
Both poems personalize a broad concept, such as spirituality or mortality.
B
Both poems address mortality, specifically that of human beings.
C
Both poems concern religion on a basic and fundamental level.
D
Both poems advocate being fearful of one’s mortality.
6

How are the speakers of "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" and "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" similar?

A
Both fear disapproval by others.
B
Both seem angry and tormented.
C
Both are forthright and confident.
D
Both reject religious feelings.
7

Read the first stanza of "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church."Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –I keep it, staying at Home –With a Bobolink for a Chorister –And an Orchard, for a Dome –What does the use of the words “orchard” and “dome” suggest?

A
that the speaker believes that faith can be glimpsed only in the natural world
B
that the speaker’s innocence allows her to view religion as an extension of nature
C
that the speaker is able to see and feel her faith in the nature that surrounds her
D
that the speaker only feels close to her faith when she is enjoying the world of nature
8

How are the speakers’ sense of goals different in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church"?

A
The speaker in the former knows exactly what her goal is, while the speaker in the latter believes that she has already achieved it.
B
The speaker in the former thinks that she may never reach her goal, while the speaker in the latter is far more confident.
C
The speaker in the former is not interested in achieving a goal, while the speaker in the latter is passionately interested.
D
The speaker in the former views her goal as intangible, while the speaker in the latter considers her goal as too distant to achieve.
9

Read the second stanza of "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church."Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice –I just wear my Wings –And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,Our little Sexton – sings.What is the effect of the word “surplice,” which is a garment worn by the clergy, in this stanza?

A
It reinforces the difference between the natural things the speaker holds dear and the rituals of the church.
B
It reinforces the poet’s belief that most people feel the need to attend church.
C
It reinforces the poet’s authority by suggesting that she knows quite a bit about religious rituals.
D
It reinforces the speaker’s view that great mystery lies at the heart of most religious rituals.
10

Read the quotation from "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."The Carriage held but just Ourselves –And Immortality.What is the effect of the phrase “but just Ourselves” in the lines above?

A
It gives the poem a humble tone.
B
It conveys the personal nature of the speaker’s journey.
C
It conveys a sense of sarcasm.
D
It gives the speaker’s journey a feeling of loneliness.

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