View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is Bishop so eager to have Moore visit her?

2. Where did Marianne Moore work?

3. What is depicted in "Manuelzinho"?

4. How does Bishop tend to portray caves and shores in North and South?

5. What is involved in the resolution of Four Poems?

Short Essay Questions

1. What surprise does Bishop reveal in the last line of "Insomnia?"

2. How does the title of "The Man-Moth" alter the feel of the poem?

3. Why does "Arrival at Santos" end with the tour group heading toward the interior of Brazil?

4. What two things is Bishop comparing in "Brazil, January 1, 1502"?

5. In what way does the language contrast with the emotional situation in "Songs for a Colored Singer?"

6. What is the significance of the title of "The Prodigal"?

7. What is the meaning of the lines "I'm afraid if it's wheat it's none of your sowing" in "Letter to N.Y."?

8. What is the significance of the trees capturing the music in "View of the Capitol from the Library of Congress"?

9. What is Bishop comparing in "Large Bad Picture" when she refers to "commerce or contemplation"?

10. What is similar about the poems in North and South devoted to morning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bishop's writing was not immune to the politics of the day. "The Hanging of the Mouse" and "Lullaby for the Cat" deal to some extent with the political times in which they were written. Discuss Bishop's unique approach to politics and its effectiveness. How can the reader tell that these are political poems? How does Bishop try to mask this fact? What is her ultimate goal in writing these poems--are they merely art, or an attempt to effect political change?

Essay Topic 2

In several poems, Bishop reveals herself to be a storyteller. In some cases she is part of the story, and in other cases she tells it from an outsider's perspective. Choose three poems that tell stories. How are these narrative poems different from Bishop's other work? What literary devices does she employ? Compare and contrast the three poems, commenting on whether each is effective, and why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

"In the Waiting Room" is unique among Bishop's poems in that it details a critical moment in the poet's childhood. Discuss the specific details of the experience and describe what this moment means for the young Bishop. Can you relate it to any themes from the poet's adulthood that are revealed in any of her other poems? Do you see this poem as more personal, or more universal, and why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 751 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample