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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 with Ginsberg in the poem?

2. What relative is mentioned in the poem?

3. Who is out walking?

4. What emotion do we carry through life?

5. What is constructed in the poem?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the poem end? What is the inference of things to come?

2. What item catches Ginsberg's eye? Where is it?

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

4. What is the point of the poem? What is the poet's conclusion?

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

6. What path of thought does the item inspire?

7. What is one of the main things that Ginsberg opposes during this time?

8. In what room in his apartment does the poet talk about his needs? What is his condition?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Ginsberg speaks about workers on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Compare and contrast the life of a freelance artist with one who works a 9-to-5 job. Do the same with a freelance writer or poet. Is one job more creative than the other? What are the pros and cons of each? Do you think the 9-to-5ers have sold out by taking jobs in advertising? Explain.

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