Question

“masks”
by shel silverstein

(poem text partially visible: “she had blue skin
and so did he.
he kept it hid
and so did she.
they searched for blue
their whole life through
then passed right by—
and never knew.”)

use “masks” for 22 - 25

1. the “blue skin” that the characters have represents what?

a. something unique about them
b. their wisdom
c. their beliefs
d. something that they do

1. look at lines 5 - 6. the poet chose a couplet most likely to —

a. highlight the actions of the speaker
b. provide a sense of playfulness
c. emphasize the poem’s message
d. suggest that the speaker is confused

1. the last two lines of the poem suggest that the characters should have —

a. shown their individuality
b. predicted the future
c. anticipated changes that were coming
d. never met

1. what is the most likely reason that the poet titled the poem “masks”?

a. the poem focuses on two clowns
b. the poem emphasizes how people hide their true selves
c. the poem encourages us to dress up
d. the poem focuses on painting people blue

Explanation:

Question 22

In the poem "Masks", the "blue skin" is a unique trait of the characters. Option a says it represents something unique about them, which fits. Option b (wisdom) and c (beliefs) don't relate to a physical trait like skin color as a unique feature, and d (something they do) is incorrect as skin color is a trait, not an action.

Lines 5 - 6 ("They searched for blue / Their whole life through") are a couplet. The poem's message is about people hiding their true selves (via masks) and searching for others like them (with blue skin). The couplet emphasizes this message by highlighting their lifelong search, so option c is correct. Option a (speaker's actions) is wrong as it's about the characters. Option b (playfulness) doesn't fit the poem's tone. Option d (confusion) is incorrect as the characters are purposeful in their search.

The last two lines ("Then passed right by - / And never knew") suggest the characters missed each other because they were hiding behind masks (and focusing on blue skin). They should have shown their individuality (true selves) instead of just looking for the external trait (blue skin), so option a is correct. Option b (predict future) and c (anticipate changes) are irrelevant. Option d (never met) is what happened, not what they should have done.

Answer:

a. Something unique about them

Question 23