Question
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.
5 Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.
10 And remembering . . .
Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,
As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that is full of beads and receipts and dolls and
cloths, tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.
Reprinted by consent of Brooks Permissions.
The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, then Part B.
Part A
What theme does this poem most clearly suggest?
A. A simple life is the key to happiness.
B. Growing old means giving up the false hopes of youth.
C. Without fine possessions, we cannot be happy in old age.
D. People can always find meaning in life, even in limited circumstances.
Part B
How does the author most clearly use imagery to develop this theme?
A. by contrasting the “casual” nature of the couple’s dinner (line 2) with their valuable souvenirs
B. by contrasting the “Plain chipware” they eat on now (line 3) with the metal plates they ate on formerly
C. by contrasting their habit of “putting things away” (line 8) with their inability to let go of objects
D. by contrasting their “twinklings and twinges” as they remember (line 10) with their poverty
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.
5 Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.
10 And remembering . . .
Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,
As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that is full of beads and receipts and dolls and
cloths, tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.
Reprinted by consent of Brooks Permissions.
The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, then Part B.
Part A
What theme does this poem most clearly suggest?
A. A simple life is the key to happiness.
B. Growing old means giving up the false hopes of youth.
C. Without fine possessions, we cannot be happy in old age.
D. People can always find meaning in life, even in limited circumstances.
Part B
How does the author most clearly use imagery to develop this theme?
A. by contrasting the “casual” nature of the couple’s dinner (line 2) with their valuable souvenirs
B. by contrasting the “Plain chipware” they eat on now (line 3) with the metal plates they ate on formerly
C. by contrasting their habit of “putting things away” (line 8) with their inability to let go of objects
D. by contrasting their “twinklings and twinges” as they remember (line 10) with their poverty
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Part A
The theme that this poem most clearly suggests is:
**D. People can always find meaning in life, even in limited circumstances.**
Part B
The author most clearly uses imagery to develop this theme:
**D. by contrasting their “twinklings and twinges” as they remember (line 10) with their poverty.**
This contrast illustrates how they find joy and meaning in their memories despite their modest living situation.
The theme that this poem most clearly suggests is:
**D. People can always find meaning in life, even in limited circumstances.**
Part B
The author most clearly uses imagery to develop this theme:
**D. by contrasting their “twinklings and twinges” as they remember (line 10) with their poverty.**
This contrast illustrates how they find joy and meaning in their memories despite their modest living situation.