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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 4.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the fourth letter, what does Rilke instruct the young poet to do regarding the poet's unanswered questions?
(a) Love the questions.
(b) Seek answers from artists.
(c) Seek answers in solitude.
(d) Seek answers from poetry.

2. What does Rilke say is bad about physical pleasure?
(a) Its ability to keep artists away from their work.
(b) Humans' misuse and waste of it.
(c) Its temptation.
(d) Its ability to bring happiness.

3. How does the young poet describe the writer and personal acquaintance Rilke mentions?
(a) "Living and writing with blood."
(b) "Living and writing in heat."
(c) "Living and writing among the living."
(d) "Living and writing with true passion."

4. How does Rilke advise the young poet to view sex?
(a) To distance sex from art.
(b) To see it as a temptation to be avoided.
(c) To rejoice in it but not lose oneself in it.
(d) To fear it.

5. Rilke challenges the young poet to ask himself a question regarding his writing. What is that question?
(a) "Must I write?"
(b) "Is my writing genuine?"
(c) "Is my writing truly reflective of myself?"
(d) "Must all of these words be part of the work?"

Short Answer Questions

1. Rilke writes that "most events are inexpressible," and says that one category of things is more inexpressible than all the rest. What is this category?

2. What is the young poet's military rank?

3. Why does Rilke believe that Rome makes one sad for the first few days of visiting it?

4. In the fourth letter, what does Rilke say he wishes human beings are more reverent toward?

5. Rilke indicates that in the future, men and women will approach each other differently than they do at the time of his writing. How will they approach each other?

(see the answer key)

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