1 Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of "since feeling is first"? Both in love and in life, you must prioritize feeling over thinking. Love is but an illusion. Wisdom is the highest virtue. You must be conscious of the consequences of your actions. 2 What does "syntax" stand for in the poem? Reason Inefficiency Emotion Love 3 Why is the person "who pays any attention to the syntax of things" unable to "wholly kiss" the addressee? Because this person has a short attention span Because this person is too emotional for the addressee Because a kiss requires feeling, and this person prioritizes reason over feeling Because the addressee dislikes people who study syntax and grammar 4 Which of the following best describes the form and meter of this poem? Blank verse Ballad meter Sonnet Free verse 5 Which of the following is not a major theme of this poem? Life and death Religion Language Love 6 Which of the following does NOT contain an example of alliteration or consonance? “eyelids’ flutter” “death i think is no parenthesis” "laugh, leaning” “feeling is first” 7 What is ironic about this poem? It is not actually about feeling. The speaker does not actually love the addressee. We know, but the speaker does not, that this love is going to fail. Cummings uses syntax to write this poem. 8 Which of the following best describes the structure of this poem? Following a linear narrative Heavily based on repetition Evocative of the structure of another poem Loose; resisting a narrative structure 9 Which of the following is a personification? "kisses are a better fate" "i swear by all flowers" "life's not a paragraph" “my blood approves" 10 Which of the following does NOT accurately describe the tone of the speaker? Pessimistic Affectionate Philosophical Assertive 11 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem? Urban Unspecified, abstract Intergalactic Pastoral 12 Which of the following is not an example of synecdoche in this poem? “my brain” “my blood” “your eyelids’” "Spring is in the world" 13 "Spring" symbolize which of the following? Fertility, vitality, and youth Death, trauma, and pain War, violence, and discord Aging, senility, and vulnerability 14 Which of the following is NOT a symbolic meaning that "flowers" may have in this poem? Ephemerality Artificiality Nature Fertility 15 Which of the following best describes the word play between "Spring" and "blood"? The speaker is trying to be resilient like a "spring" after witnessing "bloodshed" and violence. "Spring" is a "bloody" season. Hot water "springs" are good for "blood" circulation. "Blood" can "spring" forth. 16 What does the speaker mean when they say "death i think is no parenthesis"? Death is not something we should keep in mind in everyday life. Death is an inevitable part of the human experience. What happens after death is a mystery. Death is something that can be ignored. 17 How is the lady's attitude different from that of the speaker? She is more religious. She is less optimistic. She believes in logic and reason. She is more aggressive. 18 "since feeling is first" was published in which of the following books? is 5 Tulips & Chimneys The Enormous Room EIMI 19 In what year was this poem published? 1916 1936 1926 1946 20 Which of the following best describes the collection in which this poem was published? Traditional and conforming Kitsch and cheesy Experimental and unconventional Violent and gory 21 Which of the following is an example of mathematical language within the poem? "i swear by all flowers" "we are for each other" "[...] is less than [...]" "wholly to be a fool" 22 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes the use of the word "wholly" in the poem? It is repeated twice. It evokes a sense of holiness and sacredness in addition to perfection. It is used in an alliteration. It is evocative of the word "holy." 23 "the best gesture of my brain is less than / your eyelids’ flutter" is an example of which of the following? Synecdoche Alliteration Asyndeton Personification 24 "laugh, leaning back in my arms / for life’s not a paragraph" does NOT contain which of the following? Sarcasm Metaphor Alliteration Synecdoche 25 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes the use of the word "paragraph" in this poem? It may symbolize the simplicity of linguistic constructs. It may symbolize the artificiality of linguistic constructs. It is antithetical to the word "syntax" in an earlier stanza. It is parallel to the word "parenthesis" in the subsequent line.