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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 was driving a Model A in "The Galilee Hitch-Hiker" from The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster?

2. In what year was "The Beautiful Poem" of The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster written?

3. What does one of the players have in "Poker Star" from The Pill Versus The Springhill Mine Disaster?

4. Brautigan writes to "burn all the ___ to your body" in "The Double-Bed Dream Gallows" from The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster.

5. Above what does Brautigan write "medieval flames like a burning castle" rise in "Your Departure Versus the Hindenburg" in The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster?

Short Essay Questions

1. What imagery does Brautigan produce in the poem "December 30"?

2. In which poem does Brautigan refer to the Hindenberg Disaster? How?

3. In what poems from The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster does Brautigan reflect personal thoughts?

4. What qualities are outstanding in the poems of Brautigan in terms of imagery?

5. Describe Brautigan's use of nonsensical, surreal imagery in the poem "Yes, the Fish Music." What is the purpose of the imagery?

6. What theme permeates the poem "I Feel Horrible. She Doesn't"? What symbolism supports this theme?

7. Discuss the tone of the poem "The Return of the Rivers." What does Brautigan describe here?

8. What similes and metaphors are used in the poem "Sonnet" from The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster?

9. Where does Brautigan's humor arise in the poem "Haiku Ambulance"? How?

10. How does Brautigan's poetry in The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster differ from his prose in In Watermelon Sugar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the critical response to Brautigan's work. How were each of these three books received by critics? What literary circles was Brautigan associated with?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Richard Brautigan's use of imagery in the novel Trout Fishing in America. What notable similes and metaphors does the author implement? Define these terms in your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Richard Brautigan's use of satire and parody in Trout Fishing in America. How does Brautigan's writing reflect the anti-establishment sentiments of the 1960s movements in America?

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