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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 XVI, Neruda relates Matilde's body to which object?

2. In Sonnet XXV, what phrase do "rough warehouses" growl at Neruda?

3. In Sonnet XXXVI, what does Neruda like watching Matilde do in her "miniature empire?"

4. In Sonnet XVII, what does Neruda imply about the relationship between himself and Matilde?

5. Which image does Neruda NOT use to describe Matilde in Sonnet XXIX?

Short Essay Questions

1. List some examples of how Neruda compares Matilde's body to the universe in Sonnet XVI.

2. In Sonnet XI, Neruda is starving and is prowling for sustenance. What "food" is he looking for?

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

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

5. in Sonnet V, what does Neruda realize after he wanders through the streets "like a man wounded?"

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

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

8. What gives Neruda and Matilde the "eternal life of the Natural" in Sonnet XLVIII?

9. In Sonnet XXIX, why does Neruda say he chose Matilde? How does her background influence his decision?

10. In Sonnet XXXIII, where are Matilde and Neruda before they return "across the crackling sea?" Why do they return home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Neruda's poems are filled with images of the sea and rivers. What do the sea and rivers symbolize in his poetry? What role do they play? How do bodies of water affect Neruda and Matilde? Support any assertions with examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Neruda includes images of many opposites in his poems, including heat and cold, order and chaos, love and hate, and innumerable others. Very often, the author compares and contrasts those opposites before incorporating both opposites into one unified concept. Analyze at least three poems that contain opposites, and explain how the author reconciles opposite concepts to create one unified idea. Be sure to use specific examples from the sonnets.

(see the answer keys)

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