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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 Book VI, Stanza 2, why does Maldoror want to leave humanity?

2. What does the narrator say people will do at the moment of their death in Book V, Stanza 3?

3. What provides the man with webbed feet with everything he needs?

4. In Book IV, Stanza 2, why does the narrator talk about flies?

5. In Book V, Stanza 1, what does the narrator say a reader must have while reading these poems?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Maldoror compare himself to the man with stolen eyes in Book IV, Stanza 5?

2. Why is Maldoror still alive in Book IV, Stanza 4?

3. In Book V, Stanza 2, what does the narrator realize about the vulture and the owl?

4. What happens at the child's funeral in Book V, Stanza 6?

5. How does Elsseneur try to seek revenge against Maldoror?

6. What happened when Maldoror fell asleep on the cliff in Book IV, Stanza 6?

7. In Book V, Stanza 3, how does the narrator describe people's relationship to death?

8. Why does Maldoror always remember Falmer?

9. In Book IV, Stanza 2, what is Maldoror's conflict with humanity?

10. What introduction to Book V does the narrator give?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research Lautréamont's life and period in which he lived. How does this history impact the poem? Make sure you reference secondary sources and give specific examples of the impact on the poem.

Essay Topic 2

How does this poem describe the conflict between humans and nature? Why is this conflict so important in the poem and in life? Give specific examples of Lautreamont's poem, as well as current events to show the conflict.

Essay Topic 3

What is this poem's commentary on the role of religion in the lives of people? Give examples from the poem to support your position. How could the background of the poet effect how religion is portrayed?

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