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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 the final stanza of Poem 507, Emily writes about the cat's dashed hopes for what?

2. In the third stanza of Poem 561, Emily wonders if the person has to work to ______ and if they would prefer to die rather than to go on hurting.

3. Poem 84 begins, "Her breast is fit for ____, / But I was not a 'Diver.'"

4. In Poem 103, to what does Emily equate the lack of prayer?

5. The first of Emily Dickinson's poems is a cry for a single man to choose what for himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the reality of death described in Poem 389?

2. Describe the flower imagery of Poem 339.

3. How does Dickinson compare herself to David of David and Goliath in Poem 540?

4. Discuss the author's point of view on suicide in poem 277.

5. How does Emily Dickinson describe humans' approach to pain in Poem 536?

6. How does the poet describe doom in Poem 475?

7. What is Emily's Sunday routine in Poem 324?

8. How does Emily describe her feelings of grief in Poem 561?

9. What does Emily write to her friend whom she longs for in Poem 511?

10. In Poem 256, Emily turns to a different vision of hope. What is this expression?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the recurring theme of "Death" in the poems of Emily Dickinson. What symbols and motifs does the author use to represent death? What can be interpreted through her personification of death?

Essay Topic 2

What is juxtaposition? Define this term and give examples of how the author makes use of this technique to lend greater understanding of her subjects.

Essay Topic 3

Poem 61 begins, "Papa above! / Regard a Mouse / O'erpowered by the Cat!" What is the theme of this poem? What imagery does the poet use to illuminate that theme?

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