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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 "Compass," what is there no better compass than?

2. In "At First," what did we become paid professionals of?

3. In "The Shallows," how do we stand?

4. In "School's Out," what is there power in?

5. In "Cordage, or Atonement," what does the word atone come from?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gorman say we are learning in "Every Day We Are Learning"?

2. How does Gorman describe the entirety of what we've lost in "The Shallows"?

3. In "Essex I," what famous piece of literature does Gorman evoke?

4. What does Gorman say is the origin of the word "trauma" in "Good Grief"?

5. In "Erasure," what are "erasure poems"?

6. How does Gorman play with the idea of homesickness in the poem "There's No Power Like Home"?

7. What piece of pop culture does the title "Who We Gonna Call" refer to?

8. What worldwide event does "Fugue" revolve around?

9. What is "School's Out" about?

10. What does Gorman say would be a blessing for our children in the poem "What We Did in the Time Being"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Gorman's point of view change throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Through which poems does Gorman most directly discuss the topic of grief, and how does she treat this topic generally? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

How and why do you think Gorman uses images on the page, as in the shape of a poem mimicking its subject? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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This section contains 499 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample