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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 body of water is nearby?

2. What type of building is mentioned?

3. Who uses the building most?

4. What is constructed in the poem?

5. Which word best describes the child?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the burden one must carry? How should one react to this burden?

2. How should one behave in the giving and receiving of love? Where does this habit originate?

3. What childhood memory of politics does Ginsberg recall? How do those memories affect the present?

4. What is at least one of Ginsberg's comments about the racks and baggage?

5. How long will Ginsberg continue to work at Greyhound? What is his opinion of the wage and capitalism?

6. What path of thought does the item inspire?

7. What are the setting and characters featured in the poem? What is the main activity?

8. What is an asphodel? How does it compare to Ginsberg's concept of desire?

9. What is the main theme of this poem? What is the poet's opinion of the theme?

10. What is the poet's feeling about physical passion and the enjoyment of it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the poem SONG Ginsberg writes about love as a burden as well as sorrow and joy, need and pain. What are Ginsberg's views on these topics? Explain the difference between platonic and erotic love. Use examples in Ginsberg's poetry to illustrate your opinions of each. How does love relate to hate? Write about love versus sex. What are the differences and similarities between the way men and women view each?

Essay Topic 2

IN THE BAGGAGE ROOM AT GREYHOUND discusses Ginsberg's views about what goes on in a bus station. Explain the purpose of using this particular location. What does Ginsberg see? What is unusual about the people? Describe the interaction between Ginsberg and the workers and passengers. What do the workers represent? What can one learn from performing such observations? Take a similar personal experience and compare and contrast it with Ginsberg's experience at Greyhound.

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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