American Literature Final Exam Study Guide Part 1 Fall 2015 “The Road Not Taken” 1. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? 2. Explain the metaphor that extends throughout the entire poem. How is this metaphor appropriate for Frost? 3. What is the difference the speaker refers to in the poem? Is this good or bad, or does the speaker even know? Explain “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” 1. What is the meter throughout the poem? Why does Frost use this particular rhythm? 2. At the end of the poem, (when the speaker uses repetition) what does he mean when he says he has “miles to go before I sleep”? 3. What is the tone of the poem? Provide at least 3 examples of tone, and explain how that relates to the meaning. “Mending Wall” 1. What does the speaker mean when he says his neighbor “moves in darkness…not of woods only and the shade of trees”? 2. What does “good fences make good neighbors” mean? 3. What is the significance of the word “mending” in the title? “Nothing Gold Can Stay” 1. What is the tone of the poem? Provide at least 3 examples of the tone. 2. What is the allusion in the poem? How does it relate or add meaning to the poem? 3. What does the phrase “nothing gold can stay” really mean? “Fire and Ice” 1. What emotion is fire in the poem? Which one is ice? 2. What contradictions are seen in the poem? Explain. 3. What sound devices does Frost use in this poem? “Spring Pools” 1. What is one major theme in the poem? Provide evidence to show. 2. How does Frost use weather and nature to show the cycle of life? Explain his metaphor. 3. Provide examples of imagery from this poem.