English II
Unit One: Rumi
Rumi (1207-1273)
Answer the following questions about Rumi and/or fill in the blanks with information found
on Pg. 116-117 in your literature book.
-Where was Rumi born? _________________________________________________________
-The poet’s full name was Jalal ad-Din; he later acquired the name “Rumi” from the word for the
______________ where his family settled.
-When Rumi’s father died in 1231, Rumi assumed his father’s position as a ______________ of religion.
-What was Sufism? _________________________________________________________________________
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-How did Rumi grow increasingly committed to Sufi philosophy and theology? __________________________
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-Rumi is regarded as not only one of the finest Persian mystical poets but also one of the finest poets the
______________ has ever known.
-What is the name of Rumi’s most famous work? ____________________________
-In the Masnavi, Rumi uses a wide variety of literary forms—including fables, short stories,
___________________, and __________________--to illustrate all the aspects of Sufism in his own era.
-What is an analogy? _______________________________________
-A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two apparently unlike things without using ___________ or
_________.
-What is the difference between a direct metaphor and an implied metaphor? _________________________
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-What is a generalization? ____________________________________________________________________
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AFTER reading “Elephant in the Dark” and “Two Kinds of Intelligence” (PG. 118-121), answer
the following critical reading questions:
1. Do you agree with the ideas expressed in these poems? Why or why not?
2. In “Elephant in the Dark,” what conclusion does the person draw about the elephant after touching its
trunk?
English II
Unit One: Rumi
3. What does the fifth (5th) person call the elephant’s tusk in lines 15-16 of “Elephant in the Dark?” Why
does Rumi call this person “the cleverest”?
4. In “Two Kinds of Intelligence” what descriptions does Rumi use to indicate acquired intelligence?
5. In “Two Kinds of Intelligence” what generalization can you make about acquired intelligence?
6. What type of intelligence do you think Rumi valued the most?
AFTER reading “The Guest House” and “Which is Worth More” (PG. 122-124) answer the
following critical reading questions:
1. Which of these two poems do you like more? Explain.
2. What two things does Rumi compare in the first two lines of “The Guest House”?
3. In “The Guest House,” what advice does Rumi give his readers?
4. How might you apply the message or theme of “The Guest House” to your everyday life?
5. In “Which is Worth More,” why is solitude so valuable, according to Rumi?
Apply the Skills: Answer the following questions about Rumi’s Poetry—
1. In “Elephant in the Dark,” what analogy does Rumi use to highlight a contrast between ignorance and
wisdom?
2. According to “The Guest House,” what aspects of being human are like running a guest house?
3. In “Which is Worth More?” Rumi contrasts power with freedom. In what ways might power be like a
trap or prison?
English II
Unit One: Rumi
4. In “Two Kinds of Intelligence,” what does the implied metaphor (lines 10-11) say about how people
gain knowledge?
5. Cultural Connection: From the selections, what can you conclude about the poet’s role in Sufi society?
**Creative Writing: Parable**
-Parables are very brief stories told to teach moral lessons. The poems you just read by Rumi can be
considered parables because they are brief and simple and illustrate moral lessons about the human
experience. Try to write your own brief parable. Before you begin, decide what moral lesson you would
like to teach your reader. Then free write to gather simple story ideas that might illustrate your point.
Choose one of these ideas on which to base your parable. Your parable needs to be at least the length of
the rest of this page.
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