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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 does the narrator not go to speak to the mountebank about his wares in "The Old Mountebank"?

2. Why does the narrator of "The Temptations: Or, Eros, Plutus, and Fame" turn down the ability to have everything of wealth?

3. What word does Baudelaire use to describe clouds in "The Foreigner"?

4. Why does the artist in "The Artist's Confiteor" decide he cannot describe nature?

5. In "To Arsène Houssaye", what does Baudelaire say this work lacks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens after the glazier leaves the man's room in "The Bad Glazier"?

2. What is the "Introduction" to this collection of poems?

3. In "The Old Woman's Despair", how does the old woman feel after visiting the baby?

4. In "A Joker", what does the narrator think about while watching the man and the donkey?

5. Why does the fairy become upset with the tradesman in "The Fairies' Gift"?

6. What are the fairies doing in "The Fairies' Gifts"?

7. How does the narrator of "The Old Mountebank" feel about the mountebank?

8. In "The Temptations: Or, Eros, Plutus, and Fame", what is the narrator tempted with?

9. What are the voices discussing in "The Foreigner"?

10. What does the poet say about the Chinese in "The Clock"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the roles of women in these poems.

Essay Topic 2

Research Baudelaire's history. How does this collection fit in with his biography? How is it influenced by the poet's life?

Essay Topic 3

How does Baudelaire contradict himself throughout these poems? Why might this be?

(see the answer keys)

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