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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the poem "Dockery and Son," what does the narrator eat?

2. In "The Card-Players," what does Jan van Hogspeuw do?

3. In the poem "Ambulances," what phrase is italicized?

4. Finish this line from the poem "Going, Going": "Excuses that make them all ______."

5. In "The Trees," what does the narrator say the greenness of the leaves is?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Like dance, song plays a key role in many of Larkin's poems. Write an essay on Larkin's use of song in the collection "The Whitsun Weddings."

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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