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. In Sonnet LXI, what does Neruda describe as having a "tail of pain" and a "train of static thorns?"

2. In Sonnet XCII, what does Neruda force himself not to contemplate?

3. What is the painter in Sonnet LXXVI painting?

4. In Sonnet LXX, which of Neruda's emotions is revealed after he is wounded?

5. In Sonnet LXVII, to what does Neruda compare Matilde's kisses?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Sonnet XCI, what overshadows the life that he gives to Matilde "like a swelling cluster of fruit?"

2. What is unusual about the images of winter and cold in Sonnet LXXIV?

3. What does Neruda write are the effects of modern society's infatuation with flying in Sonnet XCVII?

4. Why does Neruda urge Matilde to sleep in Sonnet LXXXIX?

5. How does Neruda feel about himself and his poetry in Sonnet LVIII?

6. Why has the house in Sonnet LXXV forgotten how to bloom?

7. What are Neruda and Matilde looking for in Sonnet XCV, and what do they plan to do once they find it?

8. In Sonnet XCII, what does Neruda choose to contemplate instead of the inevitable death of either himself or Matilde?

9. How does Matilde's body comfort Neruda in Sonnet LXXXV?

10. What effect does Matilde's absence have on Neruda in Sonnet LXV?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

Examine Neruda's opinions on literature as a whole, on poetry, on his own work and talent as a writer and on other poets. How does he feel about each subject? Support all arguments with specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,041 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample