Epic Beginnings — Test Answers

Read the passage from The Rámáyan of Válmíki. His brother, fell before his feet, And cried, "Thy claim all men allow: O come, our lord and king be thou." But Ráma nobly chose to be Observant of his sire's decree. The reader can conclude that the passage is part of an epic poem because Ráma

Read the passage from The Rámáyan of Válmíki . His brother, fell before his feet, And cried, "Thy claim all men allow: O come, our lord and king be thou." But Ráma nobly chose to be Observant of his sire’s decree. He placed his sandals in his hand A pledge that he would rule the land: And bade his brother turn again. Then Bharat, finding prayer was vain, The sandals took and went away; Nor in Ayodhyá would he stay. But turned to Nandigráma, where He ruled the realm with watchful care, Still longing eagerly to learn Tidings of Ráma’s safe return.

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What is one effect of repeating Ráma's name numerous times in The Rámáyan of Válmíki ?

Read the passage about Grendel from Beowulf . For no cause whatever would the earlmen’s defender Leave in life-joys the loathsome newcomer, He deemed his existence utterly useless To men under heaven. Now, read the passage about Hrothgar from Grendel . Meanwhile, those who paid tribute to him were forced to strike at more distant halls to gather the gold they paid to Hrothgar—and a little on the side for themselves. His power overran the world, from the foot of my cliff to the northern sea to the impenetrable forests south and east. They hacked down trees in widening rings around their central halls and blistered the land with peasant huts and pigpen fences till the forest looked like an old dog dying of mange. Which is the most accurate comparison of the two passages?

Read the excerpt from a paper on Beowulf . Beowulf builds upon the message "good will overcome evil" by also including the message "those who overcome challenges are rewarded."

What characteristic of an epic hero does the excerpt reveal?

Read the passage from "A Shield." A lonely warrior, I am wounded with iron, Scarred with sword-points, sated with battle-play, Weary of weapons. I have witnessed much fighting, Much stubborn strife. Which feature most helps indicate to the reader that this modern translation was originally an Old English poem?

Read the excerpt from Spencer's narrative. Student Work As we waited for our new football coach to enter the locker room, we all secretly wondered what he would be like. Would he be tough but fair? Would he be demanding but understanding? Would he motivate us before each game with a rousing speech the way Coach Jackson always had? These thoughts were abruptly interrupted when our new coach entered the locker room, stood before us, and commanded our attention. "He" was a "she"! Our new coach was a female? Stunned, my mouth gaping, I barely heard what she said to the team next. Which element of a personal narrative would be best for Spencer to include next?

Which word best completes the comparison of Beowulf and Grendel? Readers of Beowulf will likely view Grendel as a villain. Readers of Grendel , however, will likely view the character as more ________.

Read the excerpt from Dominique’s personal narrative. Student Work Tired of waiting for the bus, which was late for the fifth day in a row, I sat leafing through an old magazine I had stuffed in my purse the previous night. It was terribly warm for a September afternoon, and the sun cast fleeting shadows on the bus stop sign with each car that passed. I wondered when the weather would get cooler and when the new bus driver would start arriving on time. It was about then that I first noticed the apparent agitation of the man sitting next to me. Finally, the bus arrived and ambled to a gradual stop directly in front of the restless man. The doors widened, and the bus driver greeted the man with his usual banter in his usual monotone. "Good afternoon. How are you today?” When writing the next few lines of dialogue, Dominique should be certain that the lines

chron = "time" The definition of chron is useful to know because it functions as

What is an affix?

Which elements does strong narrative writing always contain? Choose three correct answers.

weather weath-er [ weth -er] [Middle English; Old English w eder, German Wetter ] noun 1. state of atmosphere 2. strong wind or storm whether wheth-er [ hweth -er] [Middle English; Old English hw ether , Old Norse hvatharr ] conjunction 1. used to introduce two or more alternatives Which sentence uses whether correctly?

Read the reflection from Kara’s narrative. Student Work 1 Ironically, it is from my much younger—and, I used to think, less wise—brother that I learned the value of being honest even when a lie may seem far more tempting at the time. 2 I knew that what he did that day must have been extremely difficult for him. 3 Yet there he stood, taking responsibility for his actions with not a glimmer of hesitation. 4 It is this determination and resolve to do what is right—even when what is right is not what is easy—that I remembered many years later in college when faced with a similar predicament of my own. Which best revises sentence 2 to make it more precise?

auto = "self"crat/cracy = "rule"dem = "people" Which sentence uses the underlined word correctly?

Consider these themes from Gilgamesh: A New English Version . Battle forces people to acknowledge their mortality. Success in battle results in glory. Which statement best describes how these themes interact in the tale?

In Gilgamesh: A New English Version , Gilgamesh represents an epic hero because he

Read the excerpt from Gilgamesh: A New English Version. Gilgamesh climbed to the mountaintop, he poured out flour as an offering and said, "Mountain, bring me a favorable dream." Enkidu did the ritual for dreams, praying for a sign. A gust of wind passed. This excerpt is repeated several times. What effect does this repetition have on the epic?