SAT II Literature : Context, Speaker, and Addressee: Drama

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II Literature

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

2 Next →

Example Question #11 : Context, Speaker, And Addressee: Drama

Passage adapted from Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (1897)
Translated by Gladys Thomas and Mary F. Guillemard (in public domain)

[Cyrano speaks to Roxane.]

CYRANO:

  1. Ay, true, the feeling
  2. Which fills me, terrible and jealous, truly
  3. Love,--which is ever sad amid its transports!
  4. Love,--and yet, strangely, not a selfish passion!
  5. I for your joy would gladly lay mine own down,
  6. --E'en though you never were to know it,--never!
  7. --If but at times I might--far off and lonely,--
  8. Hear some gay echo of the joy I bought you!
  9. Each glance of thine awakes in me a virtue,--
  10. A novel, unknown valor. Dost begin, sweet,
  11. To understand? So late, dost understand me?
  12. Feel'st thou my soul, here, through the darkness mounting?
  13. Too fair the night! Too fair, too fair the moment!
  14. That I should speak thus, and that you should hearken!
  15. Too fair! In moments when my hopes rose proudest,
  16. I never hoped such guerdon. Naught is left me
  17. But to die now! Have words of mine the power
  18. To make you tremble,--throned there in the branches?
  19. Ay, like a leaf among the leaves, you tremble!
  20. You tremble! For I feel,--an if you will it,
  21. Or will it not,--your hand's beloved trembling
  22. Thrill through the branches, down your sprays of jasmine!

The time of day in the scene is _____________.

Possible Answers:

dusk

afternoon

dawn

night

It cannot be determined

Correct answer:

night

Explanation:

Lines 12-13 tell us that it’s night:

"Feel'st thou my soul, here, through the darkness mounting?
Too fair the night . . ."


We know that Cyrano cannot see Roxane because he talks about "feeling" her trembling (rather than seeing her):

"I feel,--an if you will it,
Or will it not,--your hand's beloved trembling
Thrill through the branches . . ."

2 Next →
Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors