Read this excerpt from Scene 1 of The Glass Menagerie. TOM: I am the narrator of the play, and also a character in it. The other characters are my mother Amanda, my sister Laura and a gentleman caller who appears in the final scenes. He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from a world of reality that we were somehow set apart from. But since I have a poet's weakness for symbols, I am using this character also as a symbol; he is the long-delayed but always expected something that we live for.
What is most likely the meaning of emissary?

a. optimist
b. peacemaker
c. representative
d. spokesperson

Judy blume's career as an american writer spans four decades and includes many literary awards. she is most famous for her novels geared toward pre-teens. one notable example is tales of a fourth-grade nothing. however, blume also has had success writing for an adult audience. three of her novels for adults reached the new york times best-seller list. in a 2008 interview blume remarked, "i have so many stories left to tell! " by that time she had written nearly 30 novels. judy blume is an exceptionally talented and productive american author. which of the following statements supports the main idea in this paragraph? blume only publishes books that she expects will win awards. blume prefers to write novels for adults rather than pre-teens. blume has had an extremely and uncommonly long writing career. blume is a gifted writer who can write for children as well as adults.

“tell me o swan, your ancient tale” by kabir “the swan” by rilke “spanish dancer” by rilke “your laughter” by pablo neruda “birthplace” by shaffarzadeh “it’s this way” by nazim hikmet “counting small-boned bodies” by robert bly choose two poems that you would like to write about. analyze each poem. study the perspective, or point of view, of the speaker in each of the two poems that you select for this assignment. consider these questions: who is the speaker in each of these poems? what is the speaker’s tone? is there a conflict? is there a message? what does each of the poems have in common? what is different about each of the poems? which literary devices are used in the poems? are these literary devices found in both of the poems? what does the speaker hope to achieve in each of the poems? how are these achievements/goals been met? directions: using the two poems of your choosing, write a clear, concise, two hundred and fifty word essay that compares and contrasts the two poems. make sure you include at least two of the following to support your thesis: tone, point of view, literary devices, and meter.

Read the excerpt below and answer the question. nice town, y'know what i mean? nobody very remarkable ever come out of it, s'far as we know. the earliest tombstones in the cemetery up there on the mountain say 1670-1680-they're grovers and cartwrights and gibbses and herseys-same names as are around here now. in at least one hundred words, discuss the significance of the stage manager's narration in our town. analyze the text in terms of its tone, word choice, and meaning. what purpose does this narration serve in the play?