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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. There was once a great harp crafted from what?

2. How many schools of thought exist in flower arrangement?

3. What is the tea room?

4. Okakura laments that the flower was born how?

5. How might a tea room appear to a Westerner?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do tea-masters think of life?

2. Describe the attitude of "Flower Masters" towards flowers.

3. How does Okakura illustrate this attitude towards life?

4. How have tea-masters furthered art in Japan? What else have they influenced?

5. How is the tea room different from other forms of architecture?

6. Why is the tea room intended to be barren?

7. Who was Rikyu? What problem existed between him and Hideyoshi?

8. What is a Sukiya?

9. What can cause problems for an artist? How is this a problem?

10. How did Rikyu's life come to an end?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Zennism influenced tea rooms.

Part 1) Describe Zennism. How did Zennism influence tea rooms? What else has influenced tea room design and ritual?

Part 2) How do these tea rooms compare to other Japanese structures? What are the reasons for any differences? What does this reveal about the tea room?

Part 3) How has Zennism and other aspects of Japanese culture influenced Western culture? What does this reveal about Western culture?

Essay Topic 2

Man has a very long history with flowers.

Part 1) Describe man's long history with flowers. Why might flowers be important to man? How are flowers attractive to man?

Part 2) What is the Cult of Flowers? How does it reflect Japanese culture and philosophy? How is it connected to teaism?

Part 3) Describe the Western use of flowers. Do Westerners have respect for flowers? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Okakura relates the Taoist tale of the Harp.

Part 1) Describe this tale. Why does Okakura relate this tale? How is it tied to Japanese culture? What does it reinforce?

Part 2) Describe a Western tale. What does it reveal about Western culture? How do the Eastern and Western tales compare?

Part 3) How do these tales illustrate the differences in Eastern and Western culture and thinking? How might they aid in building relations between the East and the West?

(see the answer keys)

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