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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 emotion do we carry through life?

2. Ginsberg has not touched what in months?

3. This emotion is always present where?

4. What has impaired Ginsberg's mental condition?

5. What is the final wish?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Aside from housing personal baggage, what does Ginsberg believe is the purpose of the racks?

4. What is Ginsberg's comment about immigrants and their treatment in America?

5. Where does Ginsberg work in this poem? What is his position? What are people waiting for?

6. What path of thought does the item inspire?

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

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

9. What is the setting for this poem? When was it written?

10. What is the child thinking about? How does it relate to his family?

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

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

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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This section contains 597 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample