View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was Ginsberg's first name?
(a) Jack.
(b) Allen.
(c) Carl.
(d) Robert.

2. What item does Ginsberg touch in the dream?
(a) Coffin.
(b) Book.
(c) Airplane.
(d) Giraffe.

3. What does the item represent?
(a) Locomotive.
(b) Apathy.
(c) Fervor.
(d) Progress.

4. Ginsberg is suffering from which ailment?
(a) Sprained ankle.
(b) Headache.
(c) Cold.
(d) Sciatica.

5. What did Solomon do for a living?
(a) Unemployed.
(b) Writer.
(c) Painter.
(d) Sanitation worker.

Short Answer Questions

1. The public sometimes embraced _______________.

2. Which of the following is not one of the things that keeps America occupied?

3. Non-conformists often conformed and opened what kinds of stores?

4. Ginsberg stated that the meeting with Solomon was ____________.

5. Ginsberg laments the loss of which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the main theme of the poem? Why is the theme important?

2. What kinds of things, integral in Ginsberg's life, bring joy?

3. What is Ginsberg's first encounter with Whitman?

4. How does Ginsberg's lack of money affect his attitude in this poem?

5. What question does Ginsberg ask? To what can the sunflower be compared?

6. What kinds of things are represented by the flower? What is Ginsberg able to see that is no longer present?

7. Discuss Ginsberg's view of creative people who had to go to work in order to survive.

8. How does Ginsberg compare the flower to the locomotive? What is the symbolism/metaphor?

9. What kind of experiences took place in HOWL? To what does Williams compare those experiences?

10. What is one of the things that Ginsberg might discuss or dream about with Whitman on the way home?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 503 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample