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 "Autobiography," what are the French addicts of?

2. The poet writes he's selling everything and giving the rest to what in "Junkman's Obbligato"?

3. Besides the Gettysburg address, what other address has the author heard, according to "Autobiography"?

4. In "Junkman's Obbligato," the poet writes, "Empty out your pockets and _____."

5. Who does the poet refer to in the lines, "Take up the full beard/of walking anarchy"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the poet suggest to the reader in "Junkman's Obbligato"?

2. What are some of the things the poet is waiting for in "I Am Waiting"?

3. Why does the author describe the poems of Chapter Two as "oral messages"?

4. What is the overall theme of the poem "Junkman's Obbligato"? What allusions point to this?

5. What is the poem "Autobiography" about?

6. What does the author say of money in the poem, "Autobiography"?

7. Describe the pop culture and literary references the author makes in "Autobiography."

8. How is the street described in "The Long Street"?

9. How is the place in the ending of "The Long Street" described?

10. What is the underlying meaning of the poem "I Am Waiting"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the poems of Chapter 2 in comparison to the poems of the rest of the collection. How are these different in style? What are the common themes?

Essay Topic 2

Poem 2 of "A Coney Island of the Mind" begins, "Sailing thru the straits of Demos / we saw symbolic birds / shrieking over us." Describe the bird and animal imagery in this poem and how they relates to the poem's themes.

Essay Topic 3

What are the predominant, overriding themes in Chapter Three of the collection. What artistic and literary allusions are used in the poetry of this chapter? How does the artist feel about the references he makes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 812 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample