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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 XXXIV, what does Neruda say can "push back the shadows" and enable Matilde to sleep?

2. In Sonnet XIV, what does Neruda say Italians call Matilde?

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

4. In Sonnet XXV, which of Matilde's qualities does Neruda say "filled the autumn plentiful with gifts?"

5. What does Neruda plead with Matilde not to do in Sonnet XLV?

Short Essay Questions

1. In his dedication, how does Neruda compare his poems to those of other poets?

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

3. What are some aspects of Matilde's ugliness and beauty does Neruda list in Sonnet XX?

4. What does Neruda say about Matilde's hair in Sonnet XIV?

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

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

7. What are some ways Neruda describes Matilde and her house using images related to sound in Sonnet XXXVIII?

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

9. List some examples of earth imagery Neruda uses to describe Matilde in Sonnet XXX.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In many poems, Neruda describes both his and Matilde's homelands. How does Neruda describe his homeland? Matilde's? What can the reader infer about each lover based on the descriptions of their homeland? Use specific examples from the text.

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

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.

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