Question

the prophet
kahlil gibran
love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
for love is sufficient unto love.
when you love you should not say, god is in my heart, but rather, i am in the heart
of god.
and think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy,
directs your course.
love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
but if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
to melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night 10
to know the pain of too much tenderness,
to be wounded by your own understanding of love;
and to bleed willingly and joyfully;
to wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
to rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy, 15
to return home at eventide with gratitude;
and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise
upon your lips.
terrified
15 multiple choice 3 points
the author juxtaposes a negative idea with a positive end result within the
following lines:
to melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
to know the pain of too much tenderness.
to be wounded by your own understanding of love;
and to bleed willingly and joyfully.
how does this contrast help develop the meaning of the poem?
○ it suggests that love will always result in pain.
○ it asks the reader to consider their own experiences with love and whether
they include pain or not.
○ it prophesies that even though love looks attractive from the outside, that it
is actually quite painful at times.
○ it suggests that even though there can be uncomfortable aspects of love,
that love is the greatest and most rewarding experience.
16 multiple choice 3 points
which statement best states the theme of the poem?
○ love is the greatest of all human experiences.
○ love causes people to become irrational.
○ love is risky and should be avoided.
○ anyone can fall in love.

Explanation:

Question 15

• Analyze each option:
• Option 1: The poem shows love has joy too, not just pain, so this is wrong.
• Option 2: The contrast is about love's nature, not reader's experience, so this is wrong.
• Option 3: It's not about love being painful, but about embracing its aspects, so this is wrong.
• Option 4: The negative (pain, wounding) and positive (joyful bleeding, brook singing) show love has uncomfortable parts but is rewarding. This matches.

• Analyze each option:
• Option 1: The poem emphasizes love's fulfillment, joy, and being sufficient, supporting it as the greatest human experience.
• Option 2: No mention of irrationality in the poem.
• Option 3: The poem encourages love, not avoiding it.
• Option 4: The poem is about love's nature, not who can fall in love.

Answer:

It suggests that even though there can be uncomfortable aspects of love, that love is the greatest and most rewarding experience.

Question 16