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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. What is the season that Neruda describes in Sonnet LXXXV?

2. In Sonnet LXIV, what malady of Neruda's does Matilde cure?

3. In Sonnet XCII, what does Neruda force himself not to contemplate?

4. In Sonnet LXXXVIII, what month does Neruda say "returns with its secret light?"

5. In Sonnet LXX, what wounds Neruda?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Neruda describe his homeland in Sonnet LXIII?

2. Why does Neruda urge Matilde to sleep in Sonnet LXXXIX?

3. What are Neruda and Matilde looking for in Sonnet XCV, and what do they plan to do once they find it?

4. Why does Neruda feel sorry for the "poor unlucky poets" in Sonnet LIX?

5. How does Neruda describe Matilde's laugh in Sonnet LI?

6. In Sonnet XCI, what overshadows the life that he gives to Matilde "like a swelling cluster of fruit?"

7. in Sonnet LXIX, what does Neruda say is the possible definition of "nothingness?"

8. In Sonnet LXXXIX, what does Neruda want Matilde to do when he dies? Why does he want her to do this?

9. Who are the man and woman in Sonnet LXXIII, and what do they arm themselves against? Are they successful in fending off their enemy?

10. How does Neruda feel about himself and his poetry in Sonnet LVIII?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wood is a recurring theme in Neruda's 100 Sonnets. Analyze Neruda's usage of that motif and examine the symbolism and imagery associated with wood. Be sure to support all assertions with examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the importance of the forest in Neruda's poems. Topics one may want to consider include the forest's effect on Neruda, its role in developing Neruda and Matilde as characters, and the concepts or moods the forest symbolizes in various poems. Be sure to include specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout his 100 Sonnets, Neruda makes extensive use of metaphor and conceit to describe certain concepts or objects that are important to him. Analyze Neruda's use of metaphor and conceit throughout the text, using examples from at least at least four different sonnets. What does Neruda achieve by using metaphor and conceit instead of literal descriptions of the described object or concept? Use quotes from the book to support all assertions.

(see the answer keys)

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