AP Success - AP English Literature: The Prisoner's Song

   *     *           *     *           The

third arrow flew upward and stuck we rode back sun birds bedeviled the great stem its reflected words fast thunder hills a molten mass small clouds of stones green rushes waylaid spirits onto lava beds post removed stone broken face turned down to earth *

  •       *    *    I dropped out    the little hangnail
    

blanket of a door sun strapped to my back so everyone could feel I was sinking * * * * I dried out woke up sprouted wings and flew away

    •                    Looking Glass is dead
      

The circular blue paper is the sky We see some green spots which are pleasing Are the commissioners clear as I am? I gave them a blue flag which they pretended to cherish I live in hopes I do not have two hearts The Illinois River will rise A single warrior to write beyond without me Death at the hands of the long guns Did I say death? Or the springs are drying up? Find the break where blood runs clear Through the love you bear your gallant little band

    •         “Not to reverse history              but
      

to draw out the strength” * Write in the corridor to be no speaking Sing in the hall to be no dancing Cry in the street to be no leading Break into the house to be no sleeping Feel in the closet to be no running Fight in the dome to be no screaming Lie down in the dark to be no changing * * Are the commissioners clear as I am? The dampness of night pierces my shield. Two dead men push a stick through my buttonhole. The sun looks down on me as complete. I want you to look and smile — red with iron black. With all of my heart I thank my black-robed friends for their kindness. Columns of steel rise. I was glad to hear the black robes had given you this shimmer of elongated nights, left to waver in the void. They know how to die in battle. They are a twist in the black mirror, that river between the city and the mist. We will produce no sane men again. They come back different and the same. They roam over hills and plains and wish the heavens would fall. You issued the first soldiers and we only answered back, seeking air. I have sent many words that were drowned along the way. The wind is full of bottles and the air aggressive, a red feather placed into black hair.

"The Prisoner's Song" by Cedar Sigo; Source: Poetry (June 2018)

Question 1

Multiple choice

In lines 1-3, the phrase "The third arrow flew upward and stuck" primarily serves to

  • introduce a sense of impending danger or conflict

  • symbolize hope or aspiration

  • illustrate a failed attempt or effort

  • create a setting of ancient warfare

  • signify the culmination of a series of actions

Question 2

Multiple choice

The description in lines 6-7 ("a molten mass small clouds of stones") uses imagery to

  • convey the intensity and chaos of a natural phenomenon

  • describe the aftermath of a destructive event

  • symbolize the characters' emotional turmoil

  • set a serene and peaceful scene

  • indicate the passage of time in the narrative

Question 3

Multiple choice

In lines 13-14 ("blanket of a door sun strapped to my back"), the juxtaposition of "blanket" and "sun" primarily serves to

  • create a contrast between comfort and burden

  • symbolize protection and guidance

  • illustrate a surreal or dream-like state

  • describe a physical transformation

  • evoke a sense of warmth and safety

Question 4

Multiple choice

The phrase "I dried out woke up sprouted wings and flew away" (lines 15-16) can be interpreted as an expression of

  • liberation or escape from a difficult situation

  • a literal transformation or supernatural event

  • the cycle of nature and rebirth

  • a dream or hallucination

  • defeat and resignation

Question 5

Multiple choice

In lines 20-22 ("Are the commissioners clear as I am? I gave them a blue flag"), the speaker's interaction with the "commissioners" suggests

  • a plea for understanding or agreement

  • a critique of authority or leadership

  • a symbolic exchange of peace or truce

  • confusion or miscommunication

  • a declaration of victory or superiority

Question 6

Multiple choice

The question "Did I say death?" in line 26 serves to

  • introduce a theme of uncertainty or confusion

  • emphasize the inevitability of death

  • challenge the reader's interpretation of the text

  • signify a change in the speaker's perspective

  • highlight the importance of word choice in communication

Question 7

Multiple choice

The series of commands in lines 31-34 ("Sing in the hall to be no dancing Cry in the street to be no leading") primarily illustrates

  • a society's restrictive rules and regulations

  • the speaker's authority and control

  • the futility of resistance or rebellion

  • a ritual or ceremony with specific guidelines

  • the chaos and confusion in the community

Question 8

Multiple choice

The repetition of "Are the commissioners clear as I am?" (lines 20 and 35) serves to

  • emphasize the speaker's desire for clarity or understanding

  • create a sense of urgency or importance

  • highlight the speaker's isolation or uniqueness

  • illustrate the cyclical nature of the narrative

  • question the reliability or trustworthiness of the commissioners

Question 9

Multiple choice

The image of "Two dead men push a stick through my buttonhole" (line 36) most likely symbolizes

  • a threat or danger looming over the speaker

  • the presence of death or the supernatural

  • a ritual or tradition being performed

  • the speaker's connection to the past

  • a sense of violation or intrusion

Question 10

Multiple choice

In the context of the passage, the phrase "Columns of steel rise" (line 40) could be interpreted as

  • the construction or emergence of a new structure

  • the resilience and strength of the community

  • a metaphor for the challenges the speaker faces

  • a reference to industrialization or modernization

  • the speaker's feeling of entrapment or confinement

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