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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Sonnet XXIV, describes the clouds and what "triumphant" group of people?

2. In Sonnet XLI, what does Neruda hint will bring an end to the "rough times" he describes?

3. In Sonnet XXX, Neruda says that Matilde has hair as thick as what kind of tree?

4. In Sonnet XXIII, what does Neruda say will endure even after the end of the world?

5. Why does Neruda state that he does not love Matilde in Sonnet XLIV?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Neruda say about Matilde's hair in Sonnet XIV?

2. In what manner does Neruda say he loves Matilde in Sonnet XVII?

3. In his dedication, how does Neruda compare his poems to those of other poets?

4. What is Neruda looking for when he studies other women in Sonnet XLIII?

5. What obstacles does Neruda and Matilde's love face in Sonnet XXVIII? Does their love survive?

6. Why does Neruda give Matilde the title "The One Who Puts Things in Order" in Sonnet XXXI?

7. In Sonnet VII, what causes Neruda's emotions to burst forth like "geysers flooding from deep in its vault?"

8. In Sonnet I, how does Neruda describe Matilde's name?

9. What images does Neruda use in Sonnet XLVI to explain how he chose Matilde out of any other alternatives?

10. What brings night and day to Neruda in Sonnet XXXV?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Neruda's use of food imagery. What objects or concepts does Neruda relate to food? What properties do the described objects and the food they are compared to have in common? What do the food images in Neruda's poems indicate about the poet himself and how he views the object being described? Support any assertions with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Many of Neruda's poems include examples of cycles or cyclical images. Examine the poet's inclusion of cycles in his poems and the importance of those cycles to the overarching themes contained in Neruda's 100 Sonnets. Use specific cycles that are found in the poems, and support all assertions with examples from the texts.

Essay Topic 3

The specific imagery in each of Neruda's sonnets creates a definite mood and tone for each poem. Using at least four different poems, provide an in-depth analysis of mood and tone in Neruda's work. For each poem, provide specific examples of words or phrases that contribute to the poem's overarching mood, and explain how each poem's syntax perpetuates the mood established in each sonnet.

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