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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Book 1, Chapter 5, what does Rilke intentionally use to describe a short scene from real life?
(a) Diction.
(b) Repetition.
(c) Irony.
(d) Symbolism.

2. In Rilke's poem, what do bird feeders represent?
(a) A relationship with God.
(b) A romantic and passionate love.
(c) A love for one's child.
(d) Ignorance of the real world.

3. In what year was Book 1, Chapter 5 written?
(a) 1915.
(b) 1905.
(c) 1912.
(d) 1910.

4. Which of the following is contained in the appendix of Book 1, Chapter 7?
(a) Enitrely new poems.
(b) An index of themes in the elegies.
(c) Original drafts.
(d) A glossary and a map.

5. Which of the following does Rilke use in his elegies to move readers?
(a) Emotive language.
(b) Irony.
(c) Illustrations.
(d) Metonymy.

Short Answer Questions

1. In poems I-8 and I-25, which themes are united?

2. In the poem about faces, what do vast numbers of things appear to be?

3. How many poems are in Book 1, Chapter 6?

4. Which of the following is a line from the poem "To Holderlin"?

5. Who is the poem "Ariel" named after?

Short Essay Questions

1. What allusions does Rilke use in his poems, especially in the poem "Ariel"?

2. Who does the invisible 'you' reference in the first poem in "Sonnets to Orpheus"?

3. Describe "To Music."

4. What does the format of the lines say about Rilke and his poetry in Book 1, Chapter 6?

5. What is "Faces" about?

6. Describe "To Holderlin."

7. How does Rilke give in to tradition while writing, as exemplified in his elegies?

8. Why do you think that only some poems have titles?

9. Describe the elegy about angels.

10. What is the distinction between a poem and an elegy?

(see the answer keys)

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