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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. People often attempted to deaden their ______________.

2. If people are not careful they will end up experiencing which one of the following?

3. Next to which product is the character seen?

4. Ginsberg wants people to find _______________.

5. In which state did Ginsberg live?

Short Essay Questions

1. What can the reader expect when reading HOWL?

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

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

4. What is the overall theme mentioned in the footnote? What is the poet's meaning?

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

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

7. Where does Ginsberg imagine he sees Whitman just before they go separate ways?

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

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

10. What were some of the issues of Ginsberg's generation?

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

William Carlos Williams says that HOWL is much like going through hell. Write a 750 word essay on Williams' opinion, relating it to each part of the poem. Also examine how other famous poems have used the same theme, concept and or imagery. Compare and contrast those poems to Ginsberg's Howl and other poetry.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 614 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample