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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 is the most important thing to Ginsberg?

2. Williams says that Ginsberg often found his life experiences to be ____________.

3. Ginsberg spent a lot of time in which one of the following cities?

4. Many people in Ginsberg's generation sought to avoid what?

5. What profession does this person practice?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Do you think that Ginsberg is being realistic in regards to this concept? Is there anything negative in the holiness?

3. What can the reader expect when reading HOWL?

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

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

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

7. What types of people are noticed by Ginsberg inside the supermarket?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

HOWL speaks a lot about madness. Explain what Ginsberg means by madness. Is it psychological, trauma induced, or sociologically or politically aggravated? What type of madness affected those in Ginsberg's generation? What are the symptoms of this madness? What are potential treatments? Is there a cure? How would such madness be treated today?

Essay Topic 2

There was a lot of yearning mentioned in the work. Relate to this yearning to the poetry of Walt Whitman. Write a Whitman-esque poem regarding yearning. Analyze and list at least three other poets or poems in the same vein. Compare and contrast to Ginsberg's work at that time to Whitman's.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the Beat Generation and Ginsberg's part in it. How did it start? Who was involved? What were the basic tenets? How did it change the arts/social/political climate in the US? How long did it last? When did it end? What became of the influential members of the Beat Generation after the next new wave of artists hit the scene?

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