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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. Who is William Carlos Williams?

2. What was Ginsberg's first name?

3. In what city did Ginsberg live?

4. The character comes from which country?

5. Ginsberg refers to which live object?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which things mentioned in the beginning of the poem bring serenity to the author?

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

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

4. What was Ginsberg's relationship to Carl Solomon?

5. How does Ginsberg relate holiness to people?

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

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

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

9. What is the purpose of the vision? Does Ginsberg understand this purpose?

10. What common object is spotted by Kerouac? Where? What is Ginsberg's reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

Discuss the political climate of the Northeast or, more specifically, in New Jersey post World War I. Also discuss how the war changed the social outlook of the people in Ginsberg's age range versus those of their parents. How were their views different? What was the general American opinion of World War I? Did Ginsberg agree or disagree with this opinion?

(see the answer keys)

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