1. Read these lines from the poem.

Alone the glory and the spoil
I always laughing bore away;

How do these lines reflect the central idea that the author uses people she is romantically involved with?

a.They highlight the speaker's generous nature.

b.They reinforce the idea that the speaker is intentionally cruel.

c.They show that the speaker takes her relationships seriously.

d.They reveal that the speaker enters relationships for her own amusement.

2. Read this line from the poem.

The untamed heart to hand I brought,

What is the meaning of the figurative language in this line?

a.The speaker prefers people who are reliable and easy to control.

b.The speaker strives to dominate any partner with whom she has a relationship.

c.The speaker has overcome the resistance of a partner who has never loved before.

d.The speaker is appreciative of people who are free thinkers.

3. Read this line from the poem.

Without the hell, the heaven of joy.

How do the images of hell and heaven in this line affect the meaning of the poem?

a.They imply that the speaker is deeply religious.

b.They are reminders that love is a strong emotion.

c.They refer to the emotional depths and heights of romantic relationships.

d.They show how the speaker of the poem has suffered emotionally.

4. Read this line from the poem.

And while I thus at random rove

What effect does alliteration have in this line?

a.It contributes to the sorrowful tone of the poem.

b.It makes the speaker seem fair and impartial.

c.It adds a lighthearted tone to the speaker's words.

d.It emphasizes the unpredictability of the speaker's pursuit of pleasure.

5. How do the stanzas of the poem affect its meaning?

a.They express different perspectives the speaker has on the importance of relationships.

b.They describe the qualities that the speaker seeks in romantic partners.

c.They work together to explain that the speaker does not take romance seriously.

d.They build on one another to explain why the speaker has not yet found love.

6. How does the archetype of the cruel tyrant, exemplified by Dionysius, affect the story?

a.The archetype represents the potential for people to change.

b.The archetype is the source of conflict for other characters.

c.It helps readers predict the outcome of the story.

d.It demonstrates for readers the balance between good and evil that makes a good story.

7. How does the author create surprise in this myth?

a.The author draws a parallel between Pythias and Damon, but Damon turns out to be braver.

b.The author sets up Dionysus as cruel, but he is won over by the example of the two friends.

c.The author foreshadows that Pythias will not return, but he does.

d.The author establishes intense loyalty between the friends, but Damon betrays Pythias in the end.

In the poem, the author specifically uses the word "laughing." This shows that she finds it funny. Also, the question also helps you answer the question as it states that the author uses people she is involved with romantically.

2. What is the meaning of the figurative language in this line?

B. The speaker strives to dominate any partner with whom she has a relationship.

The "hand" in this case shows that the author wants to guide the other person and be the dominant one in the relationship. Since the other person has an "untamed heart" they are easy to control.

3. How do the images of hell and heaven in this line affect the meaning of the poem?

C. They refer to the emotional depths and heights of romantic relationships.

Heaven and hell are complete opposites. Hell is a terrible place, while heaven is thought of as a joyful, happy place. In the poem, the author is not using heaven and hell for a religious purpose, but rather is using them as symbolism for the great differences in a romantic relationship.

4. What effect does alliteration have in this line?

D. It emphasizes the unpredictability of the speaker's pursuit of pleasure.

The alliteration helps make the poem seem more unpredictable, just like the author is in her relationships.

5. How do the stanzas of the poem affect its meaning?

A. They express different perspectives the speaker has on the importance of relationships.

Throughout the poem, the author is talking about her many lovers. She talks about how she has betrayed many of them. She claims to be cold and to enjoy the betrayal, but in the last stanza she uses the word "alone", which might show some regret.

6. How does the archetype of the cruel tyrant, exemplified by Dionysius, affect the story?

D. It demonstrates for the readers the balance between good and evil that makes a good story.

Dionysius is seen as cruel or evil at the start of the myth, while Damon and Pythias are seen as loyal or good. Because of this distinction, we think that Dionysius will certainly kill one of them while reading. In the end, there isn't actually evil, but the archetype of the cruel tyrant helps create this balance throughout most of the myth.

7. How does the author create suprise in this myth?

B. The author sets up Dionysus as cruel, but he is won over by the example of two friends.

The myth starts by talking about how Dionysus is a cruel ruler, but in the end he does not kill Damon or Pythias, because he is taken away by their loyalty. Because we know Dionysus to be cruel, we expect one of them to die. The fact that he spares both of their lives is a suprise.