Skip to content

The Choices We Make

Three: The Choices We Make — Quiz

← Back to Three: The Choices We Make

Question 1. According to the poem, how is the concept of 'Choice' loosely described in the first stanza?
Show hint

Consider the structural imagery used to describe how choice connects the present to fate.

  1. This phrase describes the setting or the internal environment where the process of choosing begins, not the choice itself.

  2. The poem uses the tapestry metaphor to describe the sprawling nature of life rather than the specific role of choice.

  3. The text explicitly compares choice to a sentinel that stands discreetly and a bridge where fate and the heart meet.

  4. While shadows are mentioned in the dawn of a restive mind, they represent the mental state rather than the personification of choice itself.

Question 2. What does the author suggest happens when we make a choice rooted in compassion?
Show hint

Look for the imagery involving light and heat in the third stanza.

  1. The text does not link compassion to the movement of shadows, which are described as crossing the paths of the mind.

  2. The shattering of stillness is associated with gliding through life without realizing the importance of our decisions.

  3. The poem emphasizes that the weight of the quest exists in every crossing, rather than being removed by compassion.

  4. The poem states that a single choice can spark a fire in the night specifically through flames of compassion.

Question 3. How does the poem characterize the relationship between small decisions and the future?
Show hint

Think about the textile-based metaphor used to describe how life is constructed.

  1. While choices are called flickers of light, the poem suggests they shift currents and stars rather than simply fading away.

  2. The poem uses the weaving metaphor to show how individual decisions contribute to the creation of an upcoming reality.

  3. The text describes choices as echoes in the vastness of worlds, implying a far-reaching impact rather than a localized past existence.

  4. The author argues against the idea that choices don't matter, suggesting even a single flicker has immense power.

Question 4. What is the result of choosing 'even with trembling hands' according to the text?
Show hint

Focus on the outcome associated with personal ownership of one's life story.

  1. Shifting currents is a general power of choice, but the specific benefit of choosing while weary is the reclamation of one's narrative.

  2. The act of choosing despite fear or weariness is presented as the mechanism for self-authorship and personal agency.

  3. The poem encourages not shying away from choosing even when paths are unkind, rather than suggesting choice allows us to avoid them entirely.

  4. Wisdom's harvest is mentioned in the context of reflection on the journey rather than the specific act of choosing with trembling hands.

Question 5. According to the sixth pattern of meter and rhyme, what cosmic effect can a single choice have?
Show hint

Identify the celestial imagery used to describe the magnitude of decision-making.

  1. The poem suggests that choice has a profound, almost astronomical reach, capable of altering the fundamental directions of our lives.

  2. The 'infinite sight' is the context in which a choice exists, but the choice itself is the 'flicker' that causes the redirection.

  3. There is no mention of choice silencing shadows; shadows are part of the 'restive mind' at the start of the journey.

  4. The text mentions showing glimmers of hope 'no matter how far' rather than physically moving the stars closer to the traveler.

Question 6. What internal qualities does the author encourage the reader to 'gather'?
Show hint

Look for the specific call to action in the stanza(pattern of meter and rhyme) beginning with 'So gather your courage'.

  1. The poem mentions reclaiming our story, but it encourages gathering the strength needed to make the choices that create that story.

  2. Compassion is a result of certain choices and stillness is something that 'shatters,' rather than being qualities to gather for the act of choosing.

  3. While these are positive themes in the poem, the specific call to 'gather' is directed toward courage and the strength residing within.

  4. The penultimate stanza explicitly calls for gathering courage and recognizing the internal strength of conviction and tides.

Question 7. What role does the 'heart' play in the process of exploring options?
Show hint

Consider the guiding force the author recommends following during the selection process.

  1. The poem asks if the road led to joy or pain but does not frame the heart as a protective shield.

  2. The mind is described as restive, but the heart is portrayed as an active participant that meets fate at the bridge.

  3. Wisdom's harvest is gleaned from the totality of the journey (sorrow or gain) rather than being the primary function of the heart during exploration.

  4. The poem advises the traveler to 'let your heart take the lead' when exploring every option.

Question 8. When a traveler feels 'lost in the drift of the day,' what reminder does the poem offer?
Show hint

Look for the reassurance provided in the concluding stanza.

  1. Reflection is described as 'uncurling' in the depths of the journey, but the specific remedy for feeling lost is the reminder of a way forward.

  2. The final stanza explicitly tells the traveler to remember that 'there’s always a way' when feeling lost.

  3. Stars are redirected by choice, but the text does not promise they will act as a navigation system for a lost traveler.

  4. Shadows crossing paths is part of the initial 'restive mind' setting, not the encouraging message for those feeling lost.

Question 9. Which of the following best describes the 'power of choice' as presented in the final patterns?
Show hint

Examine the penultimate stanza for a direct statement regarding the emotional necessity of choice.

  1. The poem describes life as a dance we 'must keep,' indicating that choice is a part of continuing the dance, not ending it.

  2. The poem describes futures as 'not yet met' and choices as shifting currents, implying fluidity rather than certainty.

  3. The text states, 'In the power of choice lies the love that we need,' linking decision-making to emotional fulfillment.

  4. The poem acknowledges that journeys include sorrow and gain, joy and pain, suggesting choice doesn't eliminate hardship.

Question 10. True or False: The author suggests that it is better to glide through life like a river than to face the weight of decisions.
Show hint

Re-read the third stanza regarding the ease of thinking 'none of it matters.'

  1. The author notes that while it is 'easy' to think none of it matters and glide through the river, this 'shatters' the stillness and ignores the power of choice.

  2. The author actually warns against this passive approach, emphasizing that even small crossings carry significant weight.

← Back to Three: The Choices We Make