When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least.
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
-William Shakespeare
14. This sonnet is concerned with
(A) the misfortunes that plague everyone
(B) the beauty of a new morning
(C) how the thought of the speaker's beloved can change one's mood
(D) the speaker's envy of other peoples' lives
(C) The first quatrain shows that the speaker is very religious, and the second expresses his contentment with life.
(D) The first quatrain shows how envious of others the speaker is, and the second, his love of nature and beauty.
15. Which of the following choices best describes the mood of lines 1 through 8?
(A) Joy
(B) Anger
(C) Frustration
(D) Self-pity
18. What is the meaning of the phrase "trouble deaf heaven" in line 3?
(A) The heavens are in turmoil.
(B) People are deaf to the will of God.
(C) God's will falls on deaf ears.
(D) One prays, but God does not hear.
16. What is the tone of the last six lines?
(A) Despair
(B) Elation
(C) Heartache
(D) Confidence
19. Which lines summarize the theme of the sonnet?
(A) The final couplet
(B) The first quatrain
(C) The second quatrain
(D) Lines 10 through 12
17. The first two quatrains express distinct but related thoughts. What are they?
(A) The first quatrain expresses the speaker's extreme dissatisfaction with himself; the second, envy of others' happier lives.
(B) The first quatrain expresses the speaker's dissatisfaction, and the second presents a solution.
20. What does the poet mean when he writes
"that man's scope"?
(A) The man has made a profit in business.
(B) The man has good fortune and potential.
(C) The man is strong and handsome.
(D) The man is very intelligent.