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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. In "For the Chinese New Year & For Bill Berkson," what is O'Hara's generation going to do?

2. In "For the Chinese New Year & For Bill Berkson," what helps ease the terror?

3. What is the language of "Pistachio Tree at Chateau Noir"?

4. To whom is "Down at the Canal" addressed?

5. What spreads through the alleyways in "How to Get There"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is O'Hara trying to understand in "Pistachio Tree at Chateau Noir"?

2. Describe O'Hara's experience on the train in "A Little Travel Diary."

3. What are some of the pleasures O'Hara discusses in "Five Poems"?

4. Describe two of the cities that O'Hara mentions in "Mary Desti's Ass."

5. What does O'Hara write is located behind semblance and order in "For the Chinese New Year & For Bill Berkson"? Where does this true face reside?

6. What does O'Hara request at the end of "Down at the Canal"?

7. In "For the Chinese New Year & For Bill Berkson," why does O'Hara compare and contrast America to Old Europe?

8. Who writes the epigram of "For the Chinese New Year & For Bill Berkson"? What does it say?

9. What is the symbolism of the snow and fog in "How to Get There"?

10. What is O'Hara convinced his generation is going to do in "For the Chinese New Year & For Bill Berkson"? How is this similar to the previous generation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is a prophecy, and how does O'Hara use prophecies in his poetry?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the technique of free-writing. Choose one poem of O'Hara's that demonstrates this technique. Provide examples of how the message of the poem is or is not effectively conveyed to the reader through free-writing.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the theme in "Image of the Buddha Preaching" and another poem of your choice. How does O'Hara present the theme to the reader in each poem? Are these themes seen in other poems in this collection?

(see the answer keys)

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