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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 is overwhelming to Ginsberg?

3. How does Ginsberg feel about the use of a particular weapon by government?

4. In the poem "mad" refers to ____________.

5. What emotion is connected to the soul?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. How does the theme affect each person? Where does it appear?

6. What is the child's condition and outlook upon his surroundings?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Many members of the Beat Generation seem to have a great fondness for locomotives and traveling. In Sunflower Sutra, Ginsberg and Kerouac relate locomotives to days gone by and an old America as well as to the lives of hobos and rail jumpers. Compare and contrast reality versus romance in regards to locomotives. Write about the imagery of locomotives in the US versus other countries. Include an analysis of how romance is tied to trains like the Oriental Express. What form of transportation has taken place of the locomotive?

Essay Topic 3

In BACK OF THE REAL Ginsberg mentions Jesus and the crown of thorns. Why did Ginsberg choose this particular symbol? Give examples off types of symbolism used in this poem. How does Ginsberg use the crown of thorns as a metaphor? What does the metaphor represents Are there other flowers are plants that might have worked better than the crown of thorns? Does the juxtaposition used help or hinder the poem? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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