For Anne Gregory - Textual Comprehension

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For Anne Gregory

Reading Comprehension 1

“Never shall a young man,

Thrown into despair

By those great honey-coloured

Ramparts at your ear,

Love you for yourself alone

And not your yellow hair.”

1. What colour is Anne Gregory’s hair described as?
   a) Golden brown
   b) Honey-coloured
   c) Yellowish white

2. What does the speaker mean by “ramparts at your ear”?
   a) Her earrings
   b) Her curls of hair
   c) Her scarf

3. What does the speaker suggest about young men’s love?
   a) They love women for their beauty
   b) They love women for their kindness
   c) They love women for their wisdom

4. Why might the young man be “thrown into despair”?
   a) Because Anne ignores him
   b) Because he loves her beauty but cannot have her
   c) Because she cuts her hair short

5. Identify the poetic device used in “honey-coloured ramparts at your ear.”
   a) Metaphor
   b) Simile
   c) Personification

Answers:

1. b

2. b

3. a

4. b

5. a

 

Reading Comprehension 2

“But I can get a hair-dye

And set such colour there,

Brown, or black, or carrot,

That young men in despair

May love me for myself alone

And not my yellow hair

1. What does the speaker say she can do to her hair?
   a) Cut it short
   b) Dye it a different colour
   c) Tie it with a ribbon

2. What colours does she mention for her hair?
   a) Brown, black, or carrot
   b) Red, yellow, or gold
   c) White, grey, or silver

3. What is the speaker trying to prove by changing her hair colour?
   a) That her beauty will fade
   b) That she wants to test if someone can love her for who she is
   c) That she dislikes her natural hair colour

4. What do the words “young men in despair” suggest?
   a) The men who are sad because of her beauty
   b) The men who dislike her hair colour
   c) The men who are angry with her

5. Identify the poetic device in “Brown, or black, or carrot.”
   a) Repetition
   b) Simile 
   c) Imagery

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. b

4. a

5. c

Reading Comprehension 3

 

“I heard an old religious man

But yesternight declare

That he had found a text to prove

That only God, my dear,

Could love you for yourself alone

And not your yellow hair.”

1. Who did the speaker hear speaking?
   a) A young poet
   b) An old religious man
   c) A friend of Anne Gregory

2. What did the old man say he had found?
   a) A poem about love
   b) A text to prove a truth
   c) A letter from God

3. According to the old man, who can love a person for themselves alone?
   a) Only God
   b) Only true friends
   c) Only parents

4. What message does this stanza convey?
   a) Physical beauty always lasts
   b) True love is spiritual and selfless
   c) People fall in love only with appearance

5. Identify the poetic device used in “only God, my dear, could love you for yourself alone.”
   a) Personification
   b) Alliteration
   c) Irony

Answers:

1. b

2. b

3. a

4. b

5. c