Question
In Times of Peace
By John Agard
Available on CommonLit. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.
That finger – index to be exact –
so used to a trigger's warmth
how will it begin to deal with skin
that threatens only to embrace?
5 Those feet, so at home in heavy boots
and stepping over bodies –
how will they cope with a bubble bath
when foam is all there is for ambush?
10 And what of hearts in times of peace?
Will war-worn hearts grow sluggish
Like Valentine roses wilting
without the adrenalin
of a bullet's bloodrush?
15 When the dust of peace has settled on a nation,
how will human arms handle the death of weapons?
And what of ears, are ears so tuned to sirens
that the closing of wings causes a tremor?
As for eyes, are eyes ready for the soft dance
of a butterfly's bootless invasion?
8.
What is the effect of the rhetorical question in lines 3-4?
A.It suggests that the speaker longs to return to combat.
B.It highlights the difficulty of adjusting to peaceful interactions after war.
C.It implies that soldiers become physically weaker when they stop fighting.
D.It emphasizes that war erases a soldier’s ability to feel emotions.
9.
The author’s use of imagery in stanza 3 (lines 9-13) and stanza 4 (lines 14-17) contributes to the poem "In Times of Peace" by creating a tone of —
A.nostalgia, reflecting a longing to return to the past.
B.unease, suggesting discomfort with the transition from war to peace.
C.optimism, conveying hope for a peaceful future.
D.indifference, implying that war and peace are equally unimportant.
10.
What does the metaphor in line 15, “how will human arms handle the death of weapons?” suggest?
A.People who have fought in wars may struggle to adjust to peace.
B.Soldiers will no longer need physical strength when the war ends.
C.The loss of war leads to a loss of identity for former soldiers.
D.Weapons will always be necessary to maintain peace.
11.
In lines 16-17, the poet uses the phrase “are ears so tuned to sirens / that the closing of wings causes a tremor?” to illustrate —
A.the speaker’s belief that war is necessary for survival.
B.the idea that even small, peaceful sounds can seem unsettling after war.
C.the suggestion that nature is a powerful force equal to war.
D.the speaker’s fear that peace will never last.
12.
Which lines from the poem best support the idea that soldiers struggle to transition from war to peace?
A.That finger – index to be exact – / so used to a trigger’s warmth (Lines 1-2)
B.Those feet, so at home in heavy boots / and stepping over bodies (Lines 5-6)
C.When the dust of peace has settled on a nation, / how will human arms handle the death of weapons? (Lines 14-15)
D.As for eyes, are eyes ready for the soft dance / of a butterfly’s bootless invasion? (Lines 18-19)
13.
What is the central theme of the poem?
A.The beauty of nature as a contrast to violence.
B.The importance of remembering those who fought.
C.The inevitability of war in human history.
D.The difficulty of adapting to life after war.
By John Agard
Available on CommonLit. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.
That finger – index to be exact –
so used to a trigger's warmth
how will it begin to deal with skin
that threatens only to embrace?
5 Those feet, so at home in heavy boots
and stepping over bodies –
how will they cope with a bubble bath
when foam is all there is for ambush?
10 And what of hearts in times of peace?
Will war-worn hearts grow sluggish
Like Valentine roses wilting
without the adrenalin
of a bullet's bloodrush?
15 When the dust of peace has settled on a nation,
how will human arms handle the death of weapons?
And what of ears, are ears so tuned to sirens
that the closing of wings causes a tremor?
As for eyes, are eyes ready for the soft dance
of a butterfly's bootless invasion?
8.
What is the effect of the rhetorical question in lines 3-4?
A.It suggests that the speaker longs to return to combat.
B.It highlights the difficulty of adjusting to peaceful interactions after war.
C.It implies that soldiers become physically weaker when they stop fighting.
D.It emphasizes that war erases a soldier’s ability to feel emotions.
9.
The author’s use of imagery in stanza 3 (lines 9-13) and stanza 4 (lines 14-17) contributes to the poem "In Times of Peace" by creating a tone of —
A.nostalgia, reflecting a longing to return to the past.
B.unease, suggesting discomfort with the transition from war to peace.
C.optimism, conveying hope for a peaceful future.
D.indifference, implying that war and peace are equally unimportant.
10.
What does the metaphor in line 15, “how will human arms handle the death of weapons?” suggest?
A.People who have fought in wars may struggle to adjust to peace.
B.Soldiers will no longer need physical strength when the war ends.
C.The loss of war leads to a loss of identity for former soldiers.
D.Weapons will always be necessary to maintain peace.
11.
In lines 16-17, the poet uses the phrase “are ears so tuned to sirens / that the closing of wings causes a tremor?” to illustrate —
A.the speaker’s belief that war is necessary for survival.
B.the idea that even small, peaceful sounds can seem unsettling after war.
C.the suggestion that nature is a powerful force equal to war.
D.the speaker’s fear that peace will never last.
12.
Which lines from the poem best support the idea that soldiers struggle to transition from war to peace?
A.That finger – index to be exact – / so used to a trigger’s warmth (Lines 1-2)
B.Those feet, so at home in heavy boots / and stepping over bodies (Lines 5-6)
C.When the dust of peace has settled on a nation, / how will human arms handle the death of weapons? (Lines 14-15)
D.As for eyes, are eyes ready for the soft dance / of a butterfly’s bootless invasion? (Lines 18-19)
13.
What is the central theme of the poem?
A.The beauty of nature as a contrast to violence.
B.The importance of remembering those who fought.
C.The inevitability of war in human history.
D.The difficulty of adapting to life after war.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Here are the answers to the questions based on the poem "In Times of Peace" by John Agard:
8. **What is the effect of the rhetorical question in lines 3-4?**
- **B. It highlights the difficulty of adjusting to peaceful interactions after war.**
9. **The author’s use of imagery in stanza 3 (lines 9-13) and stanza 4 (lines 14-17) contributes to the poem "In Times of Peace" by creating a tone of —**
- **B. unease, suggesting discomfort with the transition from war to peace.**
10. **What does the metaphor in line 15, “how will human arms handle the death of weapons?” suggest?**
- **A. People who have fought in wars may struggle to adjust to peace.**
11. **In lines 16-17, the poet uses the phrase “are ears so tuned to sirens / that the closing of wings causes a tremor?” to illustrate —**
- **B. the idea that even small, peaceful sounds can seem unsettling after war.**
12. **Which lines from the poem best support the idea that soldiers struggle to transition from war to peace?**
- **A. That finger – index to be exact – / so used to a trigger’s warmth (Lines 1-2)**
13. **What is the central theme of the poem?**
- **D. The difficulty of adapting to life after war.**
These answers reflect the central messages and imagery within the poem, emphasizing the challenges faced by soldiers in transitioning from a state of war to one of peace.
8. **What is the effect of the rhetorical question in lines 3-4?**
- **B. It highlights the difficulty of adjusting to peaceful interactions after war.**
9. **The author’s use of imagery in stanza 3 (lines 9-13) and stanza 4 (lines 14-17) contributes to the poem "In Times of Peace" by creating a tone of —**
- **B. unease, suggesting discomfort with the transition from war to peace.**
10. **What does the metaphor in line 15, “how will human arms handle the death of weapons?” suggest?**
- **A. People who have fought in wars may struggle to adjust to peace.**
11. **In lines 16-17, the poet uses the phrase “are ears so tuned to sirens / that the closing of wings causes a tremor?” to illustrate —**
- **B. the idea that even small, peaceful sounds can seem unsettling after war.**
12. **Which lines from the poem best support the idea that soldiers struggle to transition from war to peace?**
- **A. That finger – index to be exact – / so used to a trigger’s warmth (Lines 1-2)**
13. **What is the central theme of the poem?**
- **D. The difficulty of adapting to life after war.**
These answers reflect the central messages and imagery within the poem, emphasizing the challenges faced by soldiers in transitioning from a state of war to one of peace.