1 From whose perspective is the poem told? First-person perspective of an adult recounting the instance of a burst municipal pipe when they were a child First-person perspective of a woman gathering water from a burst municipal pipe First-person perspective from the perspective of someone living in poverty Someone recounting the scene of a burst water pipe in an impoverished community afflicted with drought. 2 Describe the poem's stanzas. Four stanzas of varying length Five stanzas of varying length Four quatrains Three quatrains 3 Which of the following is NOT a metaphor or simile? "silver crashes to the ground" "the small splash" "The skin cracks like a pod" "the voice of a kindly god" 4 What is a metaphor? Metaphor is a description of one thing as a different, unrelated thing Metaphor is a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated using the words "like" or "as" A person, object, place, event, or action that suggests more than its literal meaning The repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession 5 Finish this quote: "The skin cracks like _" the ground a pod a seed a pipe 6 Define "pod" as used in the poem. a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant a detachable or self-contained unit on an aircraft, spacecraft, vehicle, or vessel, having a particular function the part of a plant that attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibers. an elongated seed vessel of a leguminous plant such as the pea, splitting open on both sides when ripe 7 Which is the shortest stanza? The third The fourth The second The first 8 What is the effect of the shortest stanza? To demonstrate a bursting pipe There is no effect To show an outpouring of water To convey the severity of drought 9 What is the poem's meter? Free verse Iambic tetrameter Iambic pentameter Iambic trimeter 10 Which is an example of onomatopoeia? drip fortune mug echo 11 What is onomatopoeia? The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants A comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated using the words "like" or "as" The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named 12 Where has Dharker specified as the setting of "Blessing"? Rajendra Nagar in Bangalore Bhalsw in Delhi Daravi in Bombay Dharavi in Mumbai 13 Is the exact setting (name of the community) specified in the poem? Yes—Rajendra Nagar in Bangalore Yes—Dharavi in Mumbai No Yes—Daravi in Bombay 14 Which of the following is not a symbol in the poem? Water Pots Light The municipal Pipe 15 What is the poem's tone? Bitter, Bleak Joyful, Celebratory Pensive, Happy Critical, Hopeful 16 What word is NOT used to describe water? Gold Blessing Silver Flow 17 What does the blessing do at the end of the poem? Roar out from the pipe Sing to the people gathering Flow towards the river Sing over the small bones of the children 18 Which of the following best alludes to how densely populated the neighborhood is? There never is enough water. every man woman child for streets around butts in and naked children screaming in the liquid sun with pots, brass, copper, aluminium, plastic buckets 19 Which sense does Dharker particularly engage with in this poem? Gustatory Tactile Olfactory Auditory 20 Which is a synecdoche? The skin cracks like a pod. and naked children screaming in the liquid sun, the sudden rush frantic hands 21 What is synecdoche? A word, name, or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated A person, object, place, event, or action that suggests more than its literal meaning. A comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa 22 In the poem, water is personified as a: Deity A fellow community member A lover A child 23 Which of the following is NOT an explicit theme in the poem? The active struggle between the community and the government The importance of water The presence of children Drought 24 What does water transform into when the pipe bursts? A killing force A form of currency that causes strife A form of currency and a blessing An angry god 25 What do the children reveal as being necessary to life? Resilience, street smarts, and enjoyment Enjoyment, gratitude, and play Gratitude, solemnity, and prayer Prayer, presence, and obedience