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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. What would the narrator's darling discover in the poem "If, My Darling"?

2. Who is the author of this book of poetry?

3. In the poem "Pour Away That Youth," what fear is expressed?

4. In the poem "I See a Girl Dragged," what does the narrator see men doing?

5. What room is mentioned in the poem "Absences"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Posterity," who is Jake Balokowsky? What did he want to do with his life that he seemingly will no longer be able to?

2. In "The Card-Players," what elements does the poem celebrate in the last line? What comparison is being made with the characters in the poem?

3. In the poem "Toads," what does the toad represent? What does the narrator say about himself in regards to this subject?

4. In the poem "Maiden Name," what has marriage done to the subject? What is the result of this?

5. In the poem "Skin," what does the narrator call his skin? What is the poem about?

6. What is the poem "Tops" about? What is the thing that most appalls?

7. What is the narrator talking to in the poem "I Put My Mouth"? What is the poem about?

8. In "Story," where did the narrator move from his hometown? What happened as he grew older?

9. What is the subject of the poem "Wants"? What does the narrator desire at the end?

10. In "Forget What Did," what "was a stun to memory"? What does the narrator think pages should be filled with?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Whitsun Weddings" is both the title of a poem and a collection. Write an essay on the importance of the poem in the collection of the same name, using at least two other poems from the collection in your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Memories play an important role in Larkin's poetry. Write an essay on the theme of memories in the collection "The Less Deceived." Make sure you use at least two poems in your argument.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout his collected poems, Larkin calls upon the theme of youth to illustrate age and longing. Write an essay about the topic of youth in the collection "The Less Deceived," using at least three examples.

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