Poetry Analysis Quiz

The Morning After the Disaster

• The morning was calm, beautiful, and warm, with shimmering leaves and shadows.
• The narrator was suddenly startled by a strong flash, and then saw the old stone lantern brightly lit, possibly with magnesium flares.

The Disaster Strikes

• The roof, walls, and world around the narrator collapsed, and the narrator was injured in the garden.
• The narrator's drawers and undershirt disappeared, and a splinter was jutting from their mangled thigh.
• The narrator's right side was bleeding, and their cheek was torn.
• They dislodged a piece of glass from their body, wondering what had happened.

Searching for the Wife

• The narrator called out for their wife, Yecko-san, who eventually emerged from the debris, holding her elbow.
• The narrator urged Yecko-san to get out quickly, and they stumbled to the street, tripping over a dead body whose head had been crushed by a gate.

Aftermath

• A house nearby was standing, but it tilted, swayed, and crashed, with fire spreading in the dust due to the wind.
• The narrator realized they needed to get to the hospital, and also thought about helping their staff.
• The narrator's legs gave way, and they sat down, feeling thirsty but unable to find water.
• Eventually, they got up and found a soldier who gave them a towel to cover themselves.
• The narrator's legs were stiff with dried blood, and they told Yecko-san to go ahead to the hospital, as they were unable to move quickly.

Encounter with Others

• The narrator encountered people with severe burns, who were silent and unable to move due to the friction on their wounds.
• They saw people shuffling towards the hospital, and a woman with a child standing in their path, both naked.
• The narrator realized that some strange event had stripped them of their clothes, and everyone was in a state of shock and silence.

Test your understanding of poetic devices and interpretation with this quiz based on a poem excerpt. Explore themes, symbols, and imagery as you answer questions about the literary piece.