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The Tender Close

One: The Tender Close — Quiz

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Question 1. What does the speaker refer to as the 'tender close' in the first stanza?
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Consider what a weary person craves at the end of a long, sleepless night.

  1. The speaker explicitly craves this 'sweet surrender' and 'calm repose' to escape the weariness of a sleepless night.

  2. The poem focuses on the physical and spiritual transition into nighttime rest rather than interpersonal conflict.

  3. The speaker views the morning as a time of awakening and zeal, whereas the 'tender close' is the preceding quiet surrender.

  4. While 'close' can looselly represent death, the context of healing for a 'wearied spirit' to wake the next day points to sleep.

Question 2. How does the speaker characterize the passage of time before sleep arrives?
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Look for a metaphor that describes the hours stretching out painfully.

  1. The speaker finds the time before sleep to be a struggle that requires 'solace' and 'healing'.

  2. The poem uses words like 'weary' and 'aching,' which contradict a sense of excitement or speed.

  3. The speaker describes the hours as lengthy and painful rather than short or clear.

  4. This imagery highlights the slow, painful nature of time when one is struggling with sleeplessness.

Question 3. What happens when the speaker reaches 'the twilight's brink'?
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Observe what two elements are mentioned as joining together at this boundary.

  1. The speaker describes this threshold as a place where the internal mind and the external universe connect.

  2. The twilight's brink occurs as the speaker moves toward sleep, whereas dawn is what eventually 'disrupts' the night.

  3. The poem describes this state as one of 'quiet wonder' and 'dance,' suggesting peace rather than panic.

  4. The text suggests a connection with the stars rather than their disappearance.

Question 4. According to the poem, where do dreams specifically wait for the speaker?
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Focus on the heavenly and soft location mentioned in the fourth stanza.

  1. The poem focuses on quiet, solitary wonder rather than a bustling urban environment.

  2. The imagery used for sleep is celestial and airy, not subterranean or heavy.

  3. This descriptor emphasizes the luxurious and otherworldly nature of the dream state.

  4. While shadows are mentioned at the start, the dreams themselves are associated with a 'celestial' realm.

Question 5. Which mythical creature is used to describe the 'morrow's hope'?
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Identify the bird known for rising from its own ashes.

  1. While magical, the unicorn lacks the specific association with rising from ashes to represent a new day.

  2. The phoenix represents the way hope is reborn from the 'ashes' of the preceding night.

  3. Dragons are not mentioned; the poem uses a creature associated with being born anew from ashes.

  4. The griffin does not fit the theme of rebirth and renewal established in the poem.

Question 6. What is the primary function of dreams as described in the final stanza?
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Think about how dreams affect the speaker's spirit through the gloom.

  1. The poem focuses on the restorative and healing nature of dreams rather than their prophetic ability.

  2. The speaker views dreams as a necessary emotional support that facilitates the transition to a fresh morning.

  3. The dreams are described as 'loving' and a 'solace,' not as a source of regret.

  4. The poem suggests a deeper purpose of healing and preparation rather than simple distraction.

Question 7. How does the speaker feel upon waking in the morning?
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Look for a phrase in the final line that describes a renewed sense of energy.

  1. The morning is associated with hope and 'new zeal,' which contrasts with feelings of anxiety.

  2. This phrase illustrates the revitalized energy and enthusiasm the speaker feels after a night of sleep.

  3. The terms 'hope' and 'zeal' suggest a positive, active engagement with the morning.

  4. The 'wearied spirit heals' during sleep, allowing the speaker to wake with a different energy.

Question 8. What does each heartbeat 'sing' of in the poem's imagery?
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Search for the description of where the heartbeat's song travels.

  1. This imagery connects the physical body's rhythm to the imaginative and spiritual flight of dreams.

  2. The heartbeat is linked to the state of sleep and 'realms beyond' rather than daily chores.

  3. The heartbeat is associated with active, celestial themes rather than the emptiness of the surroundings.

  4. The heartbeat is described as singing part of a lullaby, suggesting comfort rather than fear.

Question 9. What 'descends upon' the speaker's face as they are enfolded in sleep?
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The poem mentions a specific type of quietness that falls over the speaker.

  1. While stars are a theme, the specific thing that 'descends' upon the face is a hush.

  2. The hush descends as sleep enfolded the speaker, before the morning arrives.

  3. The poem uses 'tender' and 'grace' to describe sleep, making a suffocating image inappropriate.

  4. A 'tender hush' represents the peaceful silence and calm that accompanies the transition to slumber.

Question 10. True or False: The night's embrace is described as a force the speaker must fight against.
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Consider whether the speaker is resisting sleep or inviting it.

  1. The speaker actually yearns for and eagerly welcomes the embrace of the night and sleep.

  2. The text states the night's embrace 'softly calls' and the speaker 'eagerly' yearns for slumber's sweep.

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