1 From whose perspective is the poem told? Someone recounting the scene of a burst water pipe in an impoverished community afflicted with drought. First-person perspective from the perspective of someone living in poverty First-person perspective of a woman gathering water from a burst municipal pipe First-person perspective of an adult recounting the instance of a burst municipal pipe when they were a child 2 Describe the poem's stanzas. Five stanzas of varying length Four quatrains Four stanzas of varying length Three quatrains 3 Which of the following is NOT a metaphor or simile? "the voice of a kindly god" "the small splash" "silver crashes to the ground" "The skin cracks like a pod" 4 What is a metaphor? Metaphor is a description of one thing as a different, unrelated thing The repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession Metaphor is a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated using the words "like" or "as" A person, object, place, event, or action that suggests more than its literal meaning 5 Finish this quote: "The skin cracks like _" a pod the ground a seed a pipe 6 Define "pod" as used in the poem. a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant a detachable or self-contained unit on an aircraft, spacecraft, vehicle, or vessel, having a particular function the part of a plant that attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibers. an elongated seed vessel of a leguminous plant such as the pea, splitting open on both sides when ripe 7 Which is the shortest stanza? The first The third The second The fourth 8 What is the effect of the shortest stanza? To convey the severity of drought To demonstrate a bursting pipe To show an outpouring of water There is no effect 9 What is the poem's meter? Iambic trimeter Iambic tetrameter Free verse Iambic pentameter 10 Which is an example of onomatopoeia? mug drip fortune echo 11 What is onomatopoeia? The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words A comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated using the words "like" or "as" The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named 12 Where has Dharker specified as the setting of "Blessing"? Daravi in Bombay Rajendra Nagar in Bangalore Dharavi in Mumbai Bhalsw in Delhi 13 Is the exact setting (name of the community) specified in the poem? Yes—Dharavi in Mumbai Yes—Rajendra Nagar in Bangalore No Yes—Daravi in Bombay 14 Which of the following is not a symbol in the poem? The municipal Pipe Light Pots Water 15 What is the poem's tone? Critical, Hopeful Pensive, Happy Joyful, Celebratory Bitter, Bleak 16 What word is NOT used to describe water? Flow Silver Blessing Gold 17 What does the blessing do at the end of the poem? Sing over the small bones of the children Sing to the people gathering Flow towards the river Roar out from the pipe 18 Which of the following best alludes to how densely populated the neighborhood is? every man woman child for streets around butts in with pots, brass, copper, aluminium, plastic buckets and naked children screaming in the liquid sun There never is enough water. 19 Which sense does Dharker particularly engage with in this poem? Tactile Olfactory Gustatory Auditory 20 Which is a synecdoche? the sudden rush The skin cracks like a pod. frantic hands and naked children screaming in the liquid sun, 21 What is synecdoche? A comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa A person, object, place, event, or action that suggests more than its literal meaning. A word, name, or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated 22 In the poem, water is personified as a: A child Deity A fellow community member A lover 23 Which of the following is NOT an explicit theme in the poem? The importance of water The active struggle between the community and the government Drought The presence of children 24 What does water transform into when the pipe bursts? An angry god A form of currency and a blessing A killing force A form of currency that causes strife 25 What do the children reveal as being necessary to life? Gratitude, solemnity, and prayer Resilience, street smarts, and enjoyment Prayer, presence, and obedience Enjoyment, gratitude, and play
