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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 happens when the gods frown in "The Twilight of the Gods"?

2. What do women not say on this side of the table in "At the Translation Conference"?

3. What is the outdoor gear of the "darlings" like in "Heart of the Arctic"?

4. What do the aliens do to humans in Part 8 of "The Aliens Arrive"?

5. What does the editor ask the speaker to do in the section of "Plasticene Suite" titled "Editor's Notes"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the siren wonder about in the poem "Siren Brooding on Her Eggs"?

2. Why does the speaker insinuate people are so desperate for rain in the poem "Tracking the Rain"?

3. What should have been inside the dead bird instead of plastic in the poem "Midway Island Albatross"?

4. What are the two things "he" is afraid of in "Fear of Birds"?

5. In quoting Rilke, what does Atwood say about poetry?

6. What tense does not exist at the conference in the poem "At the Translation Conference" and why?

7. What play on words does Atwood introduce in the poem "Plasticene Suite"?

8. How does Atwood reimagine werewolves in the poem "Update on Werewolves"?

9. What are the advantages of having a spider in the house in the poem "Spider Signatures"?

10. What does the speaker think about the world in the poem "Walking in the Madman's Wood"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay exploring the different meanings and feelings Atwood assigns to different textiles in the poem Princess Clothing.

Essay Topic 2

The first poem in this collection is titled "Late Poems;" how does Atwood use the first poem to set the reader's expectations for the rest of the collection in terms of style, tone, and content? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

How does Atwood treat the topic of domestic violence in different poems in this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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