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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. Which of the following comparisons does Atwood use for late poems in the poem "Late Poems"?

2. Why do people give others souvenirs from vacations in the poem "Souvenir"?

3. What could the speaker do to save her sister if this were a story in the poem "Songs For Murdered Sisters"?

4. Why were the old stories comforting in a way in the poem "The Dear Ones"?

5. What do the speaker's passports photos remind her of in the poem "Passports"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of people were the Scythians in the poem "Digging Up the Scythians"?

2. In the poem "Health Class (1953)," why does the teacher scare the students?

3. What would be the advantage to slugs reproducing by bud or spore, according to Atwood in "Double-Entry Slug Sex"?

4. What is the purpose of the mushrooms in the poem "September Mushrooms"?

5. In the poem "Salt," what does Atwood warn will happen if one spends too much time in the past?

6. What is the poem "Betrayal" about?

7. In the poem "Frida Kahlo, San Miguel, Ash Wednesday," where does Frida Kahlo live on?

8. What does Atwood compare "late poems" to in the poem by the same title?

9. What gift does Cassandra have in the poem "Cassandra Considers Declining the Gift"?

10. What are some contradictions about cicadas in the poem by the same title?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which poems in this collection could be viewed as a sort of speculative fiction - a genre Atwood is known for - and why? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

In the poem "Update on Werewolves," how does Atwood flip the usual stereotypes about the mythical creatures around, and what is she trying to communicate to the reader in so doing? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

In general, how does Atwood portray women and girls in the poems in this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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