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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 the first poem of the book, what is left to wander?

2. What, according to Morrison, would it take for songs and poetry to survive?

3. What kind of dream was stated as being "mad stifled witness"? ("Ode to LA" )

4. In the poem "Ode to LA", who was Morrison chosen to play?

5. Who found the body in the pool?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the poem "Power", what did Morrison claim that he could do? (Name three things).

2. What did Morrison ask of the bird of prey? (In the poem that began "Bird of prey, Bird of prey")

3. Why did Morrison call an interview an "existential moment"?

4. According to Morrison, what does "real poetry" do?

5. What was happening on the beach in the poem that began "A vast and radiant beach& a cool"?

6. What were the different ways that Morrison referred to Jones in "Ode to LA"?

7. Who is Ophelia in the poem "Ode to LA"?

8. What happened at the beginning of the poem "Ode to LA"?

9. How did Morrison use the imagery of the gardener in both "When radio dark night existed" (from "Far Arden") and "Ode to LA"?

10. What were the musical references that Morrison made in "Ode to LA"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Morrison claimed in the Self-Interview that he always wanted to write, but he was afraid of not being good at it. Do you think that Morrison succeeded at writing poetry, or that he (as he thought) failed? Why do you believe this? What helped him to succeed? Where did he fail? Support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Morrison used the imagery of birds in many of the poems in the book. Discuss the different ways that the birds were used in the poems. Chose at least 3 poems in which Morrison used birds and explain their use in the poem. How was the usage similar? How was the usage different?

Essay Topic 3

Rarely did Morrison title his poetry. Discuss how this lack of standard titling either helped or hindered your understanding of the book. Did this lack of apparent labeling confuse you as a reader or solidify what was known about Morrison as a writer? How did the lack of titling affect your understanding?

(see the answer keys)

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