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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. Why did Oliver choose the tone she did at the beginning of Work Sometimes?

2. What is Oliver trying to establish an intimacy with in Work Sometimes?

3. What tone does Oliver take on at the end of Work Sometimes?

4. How do the characters in Mysteries, Four of the Simple Ones feel about the events in the poem?

5. What belongs to the animal in The Real Prayers are Not the Words, but the Attention that comes First?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Work Sometimes, what does Oliver say happiness truly is?

2. In Mysteries, Four of the Simple Ones, what does Oliver say about the pond?

3. What did Oliver compare the feet of the hawk to in The Real Prayers are Not the Words, but the Attention that Comes First?

4. In The Measure, what does Oliver say happens to the lives that are watched over?

5. In The Real Prayers are Not the Words, but the Attention that Comes First, what does Mary Oliver state the real method of praying should be?

6. In Mysteries, Four of the Simple Ones, what does Oliver ask about a turtle?

7. What did Mary Oliver compare the hawk in The Real Prayers are Not the Words, but the Attention that Comes First to when it was in the grass?

8. In Work Sometimes, what are some of the things that Oliver lists as NOT leading to happiness?

9. At the beginning of The Real Prayers are Not the Words, but the Attention that Comes First, what does Oliver state the hawk finds joy in?

10. What does Oliver say she wants to honor with her poem, Everything?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Religion was a theme that was touched on a number of times in this book. Where did this theme appear, and what are some of the different ways this theme was introduced?

Essay Topic 2

What is the main message being sent in Work Sometimes, and how is this poem different from the other poems in the first section of this book?

Essay Topic 3

What are some of the main places where personification is used in these poems, and what messages are sent in these moments?

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