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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. HOWL can be seen as a plea for ______________.

2. The author warns against the dangers of which of the following?

3. In what condition is the item?

4. In which state did Ginsberg live?

5. What religion is practiced by Ginsberg?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Ginsberg's dream about being with Whitman in the store?

2. How does Ginsberg relate holiness to people?

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

4. What is the setting for Sunflower Sutra? What do the men dream about in regards to the scene?

5. Why did Ginsberg experience a great deal of confusion and distress during his adolescence?

6. What is Ginsberg's opinion of Whitman? How does the younger poet view the older, more famous poet?

7. What was involved in regard to some of the social and political action taken by Ginsberg's peers?

8. According to Williams and Ginsberg, how is it possible for love to survive?

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

10. Name at least two themes used in SUNFLOWER SUTRA. How do you know?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a biography on famed poet William Carlos Williams. Include his youth, education, personal and professional lives. Also include Williams' professional and personal relationships with Allen Ginsberg as well as other Beat Generation poets Gregory Corso, Jack Kerouac, and Michael McClure. Also discuss how Williams affected the New York literary scene.

Essay Topic 2

Write a detailed analysis of each line of HOWL. You can choose to do so using either subjective or academic reasoning. Explain your analysis in detail. Cite sources where applicable.

Essay Topic 3

In the poem WILD ORPHAN Ginsberg discusses the life of an orphan. What are common fantasies and misconceptions about orphans? How do those compare to the reality? Use examples all of orphans as they are portrayed in movies and literature. How accurate are the portrayals? What is the difference between an orphanage and foster care? What are the criteria for each? Compare and contrast orphanages in the 1950s to today.

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This section contains 616 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample