Q01of 10
The poem's title 'Festina Lente' is a Latin phrase meaning 'make haste slowly.' How does the title function in relation to the poem's central event?
Q02of 10
The setting is compared to 'this Abbey of Theleme.' What literary technique is Lowell using with this allusion, and what does it suggest about the pond?
Q03of 10
What specific piece of physical evidence do the reformers cite to justify their plan to dock the tadpoles' tails?
Q04of 10
The old croakers argue their case with the line 'Old Doctor Time is slow, but still / He does know how to make a pill.' This image is best understood as:
Q05of 10
The polliwogs' speech contains the couplet: 'Tis not by jumps that she advances, / But wins her way by circumstances.' The word 'she' refers to:
Q06of 10
In direct contrast to the polliwogs, the reform party insists that Providence 'Does not creep slowly on _incog._, / But moves by jumps, a mighty frog.' What rhetorical purpose does the frog simile serve here?
Q07of 10
Which of the following best describes the poem's overall verse form?
Q08of 10
The line 'The only gainers were the pouts' delivers the poem's darkest irony. Who or what are 'pouts' in this context?
Q09of 10
The speaker of this poem can best be characterized as:
Q10of 10
What is the primary thematic warning Lowell encodes in the fable's outcome?
0 / 10 answered