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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 resists the future change in women that Rilke notes in letter seven?
2. Why has it taken so long for Rilke to reply to the young poet with his seventh letter?
3. What does Rilke claim a sadness that enters into the body is in actuality?
4. How long has Rilke been in the city from which he writes the fifth letter?
5. To what does Rilke compare humans' misunderstanding of destiny in letter eight?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Rilke send a copy of the young poet's sonnet with letter seven?
2. In letter seven, Rilke compares an ideal romantic relationship to "two solitudes [that] protect and border and salute each other." What does he mean by this?
3. What is Rilke's view of God?
4. Rilke says that young people can't understand love. What reason does he give?
5. What advice does Rilke give the young poet for doctoring his sadness?
6. Rilke implies that security and comfort are negative. Why?
7. In letter five, Rilke comments on Rome and says that the first few days one is in Rome have "an oppressively sad effect" because everything in Rome is old and looking backward toward the past. How does this sentiment reflect Rilke's life philosophies as he has expressed them thus far in the book?
8. How does Rilke respond to the young poet's expression of fear that the young poet has lost God?
9. What does Rilke say that the average person will continue to do in regards to love?
10. Why does Rilke advise the young poet "to be lonely and attentive when one is sad" in letter eight?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the apparent contradiction between Rilke's separate emphases on solitude and meaningful sexual union with other human beings.
Essay Topic 2
Compare and contrast the advice Rilke presents to the young poet and the way Rilke takes his own advice based on research into Rilke's life.
Essay Topic 3
In the first letter, Rilke suggests that the critical assessment of literary works is not a valuable practice. Do you agree with Rilke's statement? Why or why not? Do you think literary works should not be critically assessed?
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This section contains 825 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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