Introduction to Poetry

BY  BI LL Y C OL LI NS
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.

But all they want to do

is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.
Introduction to Poetry’ by Billy Collins is a beautiful poem that speaks about the nature
of poetry. The poet considers how poetry should be appreciated and comprehended.
Poetry generally demands an association of seeing, smelling, feeling, and last but not least it
also gives enjoyment. The poet says, “I want them to waterski/ across the surface of the
poem”. This line presents the essence of the poem. However, in the end, the poet feels
dejected about the attitude of readers to poetry. They somehow want a meaning, no matter
if it has one or not.

Introduction to Poetry’  by Billy Collins is full of metaphors.

HIVE - a place in which people are busily occupied.

"the kitchen became a hive of activity"

What is the means of hive?

A hive can be a home for bees. It's also a whole bunch of something moving around
— like a hive of eager students — which is related to the fact that so many bees live
in a hive. The word hive is most recognizable as a place where bees live, but it can
be a verb that means to move together as one, like a swarm of bees.

QUIZ : INTRODUCTION OF POETRY

1. Which line from the poem provides the context support the meaning of the word slide in
line 3?
 a. Line 2 b. line 5 c. line 9 d. line 16

2. Which definition best matches the use of the word probe in line 6?
a. Definition 1 b. Definition 2 c. Definition 3 d. Definition 4
3. Which line contains a poetic language that convey a sense of danger
a. And hold it up to the light
b. or press an ear against its hive.
c. I say drop a mouse into a poem
d. I want them to waterski
4. What tones are conveyed by these lines?

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.
a. Uncertain and confused
b. Cordial and pleasure
c. Melancholic and resourceful
d. Neutral and subjective
5. The poet uses the pronouns they and them most likely to refer to
a. His parents b. His part c. His troubles d. His readers
6. Line 12 -14 suggest that they want the poem.
a. To provide clues to help determine its meaning
b. To convey a transparent meaning
c. To conceal its true meaning
d. To make its meaning inconspicuous
7. In line 15, the act of beating the poem with a hose suggest that they are:
a. Copasthnic b. Frustrates c. Serene d. Tranquil
8. In stanza 4, the poet refers to the poem as a/an a
a. Jetski b. car c. ocean d. bout
9. The tone of the poem shift in:
a. Stanza 1 b. stanza 3 c. stanza 4 d. stanza 6
10. The overall message conveyed in the person is :
a. The conflict of hopes versus reality
b. The guidance provided by authority
c. The missed opportunities of rebels
d. A life unfulfilled and unchallenged

Passage: PALAWAN
Unique to Palawan is its mega diversity. For a long time, only the ethnic communities
that thrive in these islands and a few other daring settlers who wanted to live in
unpolluted surroundings know Palawan’s bountiful resources, abundant wildlife and
extra ordinary natural beauty.
The island province first attracted attention in the 1970’s when it became a United
Nations Vietnamese Refugee Center. At this time, a disturbance in Kenya also saw
the transport of endangered animals from its savannas to the plains Calauit Island.
However, it was only a sea accident in 1979 that eventually led to the opening of
Palawan into major tourist attraction. According to a story, a tuna live dis abled a
dive boat’s propeller in the middle of the night forcing it to drop anchor in an inlet.
The following morning, the divers woke up with amazing scenery of skyscraping dark
cliffs, tricks green forest, white sand beach, sparkling water and, rising above it, a
series of magnificently, souvenir jade islands.
1. What can be inferred form the selection about happiness?
a. Happiness includes being satisfied and feeling good everyday
b. Our mood changes, as well as our source of happiness
c. Exercise should lifelong process
d. Losing mass makes one happy
2. What happens when happiness is accompanied with discipline?
a. Successful life c. balanced life
b. Healthy living d. constant living
3. What can be concluded from the selection?
a. One has the ability to control how’s/he feels and what to do to be satisfied
with her/his life
b. One needs motivation to be truly happy
c. The changes in one’s mood reflect how/he is happy with his/her life
d. Exercise and happiness something in common.
4. Which can be an appropriate title of the selection?
a. Palawan and it’s settlers
b. Palawan and its extraordinary natural beauty
c. El Nido 1970’s
d. The discovery of El Nido
5. What does the word “Diversity” in the first sentence mean?
a. Variety c. similarity
b. Equality d. distinction
6. It can be concluded from the selection that ___
a. El Nido is a tourist spot c. El Nido was discovered by a diver
(correct answer)
b. El Nido is a popular place d. El Nido hs its amazing natural
beauty
IMAGINATIVE POWER OF DRAMA
The art generally depend on ridiculous region but the theater is most ridiculous of all
image asking us to pretend that we are in Bangkok after the fall of Saigon and that
tea is a Vietnamese bar girl who kills herself because she believes that suicide is the
only solution to her problem . More than that engaged asking us to believe that all
the others character in the play talk to each other by singing the teacher is a lily that
inexplicably asset from a single weedy falsities it is precisely from the tension
produced by all this ABSURDITY that theater is able to create each poetry, power
enhancement and truth.
1. What is the best tile of the SELECTION?
a. Marvelous singing voices
b. The imaginative of fiction
c. The absurdity of musical plays
d. The production of musical plays
2. Based from the except, the author believes that all the statement are true,
EXCEPT?
a. Theater is based on absurdities
b. The character in musical plays converse by singing
c. Theater teaches us that suicide is the only solution to the problem
d. Theater creates poetry, power enhancement and truth.
3. The word “ABSIRDITY” means?
a. Fiction c. predictability
b. Falsehood d. foolishness
4. Which of the following can be conducted about theater from the selection
a. It has different themes
b. It is the most ridiculous of all the arts
c. It is able to create poetry, power enhancement and truth.
d. It is fictional representing of life.
5. The author’s attitude towards unreal situations in the drama is one of.
a. Appreciation c. disapproval
b. Anger d. worry
6. The word INEXPLICABLY means?
a. Cannot be expected c. cannot be explain (Correct Answer)
b. Cannot be predicted d. cannot be anticipated
7. The phrase “jungle of weedy falsities” contains
a. Personification c. a metaphor
b. A simile d. a hyperbole
8. The statement, : the theater is ally that in explication , from a jungle of weekly
falseness “ means?
a. The theater is the flower among the arts
b. The theater raises public taste to a higher level
c. The theater portrays truth by means of unreal events
d. In the theater, real actions and singing talents is shown.
Passage : Iliad and Odyssey

In the Iliad, more Gods involved with the characters, whereas in the
Odyssey, there are only two regions major characters. The roles of the Go
sin the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal
and mortal versus immortal.
The roles of the Gods in the Odyssey are through two major Gods and
they affect the plot as Poseidon versus Odyssey and Athena versus
Telema chus.
Iliad was a tragedy illustrating the despair and useless suffering
associated with war.
Homer’s Odyssey was an epic table of long suffering resolving in triumph.
Though there were a great many differences between the two works, there
was an underlying theme of love which ran through both. Not just the
physical manifestation of infatuation, but the kind of love that makes one
willing to die for another.
ROSETTA STONE
PASSAGE : SMOKE AFFECT CATS
 1. What is the main idea of the selection?
a. Smokers must not live with pets.
b. Household smoking affects cats
c. Smokers living with cats suffer from asthma.
d. Smoking should be done outside where cats are not present.
2. What is the effect of household smoking on cats?
a. It has no effect on cats.
b. It irritates the nose of cats.
c. It can kill cats in an instant.
d. It makes cats more prone to cancer.
3. In the line… they ingest Particles that have fallen on their fur, ingest
means?
a. Clean b. drink c. swallow d. eliminate
4. Smoker’s can minimize risk their cats by keeping them where people light
up” is the same as saying that___.
a. Cats should be kept in a well lighter room
b. Cats should have separate room stay in
c. Smokers should smoke outside the household
d. Cat owners should put their pets away from rooms where people
smoke.

Passage: CAT

Passage: Cat
1. The word “quarry” as used in the last paragraph
means?
Target
2. Cats have acute hearing except the white cat with
blue eyes which do not
Hear well
3. The sentence “the cat is a precision instrument” is a
Metaphor
4. The selection is mainly about
The cat as hunting machine
5. We can conclude from the selection that the cat is
an animal which can
Survive on its own
CYBER BULLYING

1. One of the ways cyber bullying is done by __.

a. Threatening people who are depressed
b. Downloading post from Facebook friends
c. Sending bad message through cellular phones or in the interest
d. Blocking some people from Facebook account
2. A person who is cyber bullied will likely become___.
a. Easy - going b. depressed c. gregarious d.
aggressive
3. A victim of cyber bullying would not most likely suffer from___.
a. Social awareness b. physical exhaustion c. emotional trauma d.
social ineptitude
4. The main theme of the article is:
a. How to cope with cyber bullying
b. Doctor who are against cyber bullying
c. Psychological risk of cyber bullying
d. Treatment of cyber bullying victims
Passage: CULTURE SHOCK/PHENOMENA

1. What is the main idea of the selection?

a. Culture shock and future shock are modern-day phenomena
b. Culture shock is a well-accepted ideology in this generation
c. Future shock happens when people are familiar with the patterns in them
group
d. Future shock is a natural phenomenon in all social institution
2. Culture shocks happen when___.
a. People enjoy that they do
b. Old members are replaced by new ones
c. People in a new setting meet unfamiliar faces
d. People from a curtain move to a place with a vary different culture.
3. As used in the selection “superimposition” means__.
a. Coercing those who are powerless
b. Subjecting to harsh rules new people in one’s social group
c. Placing new thinking, beliefs, attitudes not previously in the culture
d. Placing a heavy burden on those who cannot follow the rules of the
society.
4. What is the best paraphrase for the lines “shock is a time phenomenon, a
product of the greatly accelerated rate of change with in a society?
a. Future shock happens so fast that the members of the same culture
cannot adjust to the rapid changes
b. Future shock is a common phenomenon acceptable to all members of
c. The effect of future shock is common among the members of the society
d. Future shocks influence the living of members of the society
ASIA
Passage: ALTIPLANO
1. What is the purpose of the text?
a. To entertain c. to share life lesson
b. To inform d. to taste cause and effect
2. Based on the selection, it can be concluded that ___.
a. Travelling requires an intimate knowledge of the natives
b. Humans adapt to the conditions of the environment
c. The strength of effort put into building community matters
d. Through hardwork, a community can overcome harsh environment
3. What image did the author create when she said, “ floating clouds
sudden;y erupt in convulsine showers?
a. Prothy rain /frothy rain c. cloud explosions
b. Cold dizzles d. sudden burst of rain

Passage: CAR INDUSTRY

1. What theme can be drawn from the passage?

a. Weakened competition among industries
b. Demand of cars all over the world
c. Increasing the production of automobiles
d. Improving quality and reducing its’ costs
2. Which of the following is a paraphrase of the line… they have industry
responded to the limited export of Japanese cars by buying more
European imports?
a. Buyers prefer imported than locally manufactured cars
b. European cars are better than Japanese cars.
c. Japanese and European cars are no match to America cars.
d. America cars are limited that’s why buyers had no choice but to
settle for imported ones.
3. According to the passage , which is an effect of the reduced numbers
of Japanese cars exported to the U. S.?
a. A decreased in the demand for Japanese import by americans
b. An increase in the number of European imports sold in the U.S.
c. A reduced in the manfacturing cost of Japanese cars.
d. An improved quality by american cars makers.
PASSAGE: NATIVE BORN
1. Which of the following is correct based on the text
a. Priviledged Filipino married early Americans during their time
b. The filipinos have too much admiration for the Americans
c. The form of our government today is patterned from the Americans
d. Our Filipino ancestors consider themselves Indio
2. Which could be an appropriate title of the selection?
a. Foreign government in the Philippines
 b. The American settlers in the Phillpines
c. The different meaning of the “Native Born”
d. Why Americans do not means that one country controls

3. The word “ Colonialism means that one country controls ___.

a. People of another country
b. An island in another country
c. The leader in another country
d. The culture in another country
4. What conclusion can be drawn from the last paragraph?
a. The filipinos welcomes Americans to rule above them
b. The Philippine government patterned after the America
c. The word “ native born” tells the inferiority for filipinos
d. The Philippines likened to tbe part of America because of Colonialism
5. Whay does the phrase “ replete with the glory records” means?
A. full bloody details c. replace with glorious stories
b. complete with detailed events. D. filled with gorgeous incidents

PASSAGE : POWER

1. . Which of the following is the theme of the selection?

a. Protecting the kings and the rulers
b. The continuing military brutality
c. Military abuses in the past
d. Using arms to kill
2. Which may be best title for the selection?
a. The influence of power
b. History of military
c. The king: thye Bygone ruler
d. The king: the supreme ruler
3. Ruler ins the past protected their position and territory by ___.
a. Military prevailing our civilian authority
b. Killing all their enemies
c. Establishing their primacy
d. Aiming their less volorons subjects

PASSAGE : MONTY
1. How big was the young man’s house?
a. 200-acre c. 4,000 –square foot (correct answer)
b. 4,000-acre d. 4,200-square foot
2. Why did the teacher tell monty to have unrealistic dream?
a. He was a child of a poor man
b. He was always absent in class
c. He couldn’t even ride a horse
d. He couldn’t even write a good easy
3. The word reprimanded on the text means__.
 a. Praise b. honor c. approved d. rebuke

4. Based on the text , how could you describe the teacher?

a. Objective b. subjective c. supporter d. well-wisher
5. Based on the text, how would you describe Monty as a young
man?
a. Persistent b. hardworking c. humble d. respectful

Another reviewer answer: is persistent

PASSAGE : SOCIAL MEDIA AND NARCISSISM

1. What is the appropriate title for the selection?

a. Narcissism c. social media
b. Grandiose narcissism d. narcissistic personality
2. A person with narcissistic personality __.
a. Never log out his/her fb account
b. Spends most of his/her time posting selfies, tweeting
and updating status
c. Does not turn off their cps and computers
d. Has many friends online
3. The word narcissism as used in the selection means ___
a. Addiction to social media
b. Excessive interest in oneself
c. Awareness of the use technology
d. Being proud of what you have
4. The last paragraph tells the readers that __.
a. Person with narcissistic personality
b. Social media is not a problem
c. Social media affect one’s personality
d. Social media develops a narcissistic personality

PASSAGE: EDUCATED FILIPINO

Passage : Work
Passage: The Prince and the Rat
1. Which among the following is the theme of the
selection?
The Prince and the Rat
2. What does “but if the Prince will take him, it will be
as if the sun came to shineon his life” mean
The rat experiences freedom
3. Based on the text, the life of a rat is boring because
Men keep on hunting him