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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Poems on Other Difficulties.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Rilke is regarded in his letters and his writing to be distinctly ahead of his time in what respect?
(a) Religion.
(b) Politics.
(c) Writing.
(d) Feminism.

2. In the second of "The Seven Phallic Poems," who does the poet claim is "drawing my seed up into an abrupt tree"?
(a) Summer.
(b) A maiden.
(c) Love.
(d) A garden.

3. From what collection is "The Poet Praises" taken?
(a) Letters to a Young Poet.
(b) Duino Elegies.
(c) Cycle--Nights.
(d) Sonnets to Orpheus.

4. In what amount of time did Rilke write over 1,600 lines of poetry plus a major essay during "the great giving"?
(a) Three months.
(b) Three weeks.
(c) Six months.
(d) Six weeks.

5. The commentator remarks in the Introduction, "It should be emphasized that Rilke's language is thoroughly _______."
(a) Explicit.
(b) Dramatic.
(c) Narrow.
(d) Sensual.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "From the Cycle: Nights," Rilke personifies "Night" as what?

2. Who does Rilke say is incapable of such loving as he calls for?

3. One of the shortest of the love poems consists of the following two lines: "Also to affirm even ______ / like a thing."

4. In the Prologue, who does the commentator say is the other of the two greatest writers of the twentieth century?

5. In the poem, "Mausoleum," what punctuation does Rilke use in a nontraditional way, at the beginning of two lines?

(see the answer key)

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