1a. In stanza 12, what does the speaker describe as his recipe for happiness?
2a. What, according to stanzas 17 and 18, happens to all people, including great sultans?
3a. According to stanzas 19 and 20, what nourishes hyacinths and herbs?
4a. What advice, related to the carpe diem theme, does the speaker offer the reader? What line sums up this advice?
5a. Explain whether the carpe diem philosophy is one that appeals to you. How might you seize the day in your own life?
1b. Why are these things sufficient for the speaker to create a paradise on earth?
2b. What do stanzas 17 and 18 say about the importance of earthly achievements?
3b. In stanzas 19 and 20, what is the speaker's attitude toward the cycle of life and death? What do these stanzas reveal about the natural world?
4b. What experiences and events might inspire a person to embrace the carpe diem theme?
5b. Compare and contrast Khayyám's views about time and pleasure to those Marvell expresses in "To His Coy Mistress."
Mood. What is the general mood of the stanzas from The Rubáiyát that you have read? What words and phrases help create this mood? Explain if the mood is appropriate given this poem's subject.
Simile. In stanza 16, what two things are being compared? In what way does the comparison support the poem's subject?
Theme. Sum up in your own words the theme of this excerpt from The Rubáiyát.
1. Write a proposal for creating a new holiday to celebrate the carpe diem theme. Specify what people might do to celebrate this holiday.
2. Write a dialogue between two characters, one who supports the carpe diem mentality and one who devoutly believes that human life should be focused on living modestly and attaining salvation.
3. A tall tale is a story, often lighthearted or humorous, that contains highly exaggerated, unrealistic elements. Write a tall tale about a character who takes the carpe diem mindset to a ridiculous extreme.
Correcting Sentence Fragments. Rewrite the following fragments below so they form complete sentences.
1. Some the glories of this world, and some the paradise to come.
2. The worldly hope that men set their hearts upon.
3. So they could forget their cares.
4. Lived his destined hour and then passed away.
5. Where some buried Caesar bled.
