Chapter XVII: Spring Quiz — Walden Pond

Why does Walden Pond thaw later than Flint's Pond and Fair Haven?

• It is located at a higher elevation
• It is deeper and has no stream passing through it
• It is shaded by surrounding hills
• Its water is saltier than the other ponds

What does Thoreau compare the thawing sand and clay patterns to?

• Ocean waves and sand dunes
• Leaves, lichens, blood vessels, and human organs
• Snowflakes and ice crystals
• River deltas and mountain ranges

What does Thoreau feel he is witnessing when he observes the sand-foliage phenomenon?

• Evidence of ancient geological processes
• The laboratory of the Artist who made the world
• A warning about human interference with nature
• The ruins of a prehistoric civilization

According to Thoreau, what does "the Maker of this earth" patent?

• A snowflake
• A leaf
• A river
• A crystal

What bird does Thoreau describe performing acrobatic aerial maneuvers near Nine-Acre-Corner bridge?

• A bald eagle
• A red-tailed hawk
• A hawk possibly called a Merlin
• A peregrine falcon

How many geese does Thoreau count circling over his head the morning after they land on Walden?

• Twelve
• Twenty-nine
• Forty-three
• Fifty

What classical work does Thoreau quote when comparing spring to the creation of the Golden Age?

• Homer's Odyssey
• Virgil's Aeneid
• Ovid's Metamorphoses
• Plato's Republic

What date does Thoreau give for his final departure from Walden Pond?

• April 1, 1847
• July 4, 1847
• September 6, 1847
• December 25, 1847

Did Thoreau describe hearing a robin for the first time in spring and calling it "the same sweet and powerful song as of yore"?

Did Thoreau go ice-skating on Walden Pond during the spring thaw described in this chapter?

In the passage "this sandy overflow is something such a foliaceous mass," what does "foliaceous" mean?

• Rocky and mineral-rich
• Leaf-like in form or structure
• Rapidly flowing and liquid
• Covered in moss or lichen

When Thoreau writes "It was the most ethereal flight I had ever witnessed," what does "ethereal" mean?

• Dangerous and reckless
• Extremely light, airy, and delicate
• Loud and attention-seeking
• Slow and methodical

What does Thoreau mean by "exuviae" in the statement "Its throes will heave our exuviae from their graves"?

• Treasures and valuables
• Bones and skeletons
• Cast-off skins or coverings
• Written records and documents