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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. According to Rilke, what does Orpheus invigorate?
(a) Singing.
(b) Feeling.
(c) Writing.
(d) Thinking.

2. Who is the poem "Ariel" named after?
(a) Rilke's mother.
(b) Rilke's daughter.
(c) A Disney character.
(d) A character in a play.

3. According to Rilke's suggestion, which of the following should be used to remember Orpheus?
(a) A large memorial site.
(b) Live roses.
(c) Feasts.
(d) Dead ornaments.

4. How are the poems in Book 1, Chapter 5 written?
(a) In song form.
(b) In short story form.
(c) In prose.
(d) In poem form.

5. When Orpheus is called in one of the sonnets, who gathers to listen in silence?
(a) Children.
(b) Every human in the world.
(c) Every European person.
(d) Animals.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Rilke refer to at the end of sonnet II-8?

2. In Rilke's poem, what do bird feeders represent?

3. How is "To Music" written?

4. How many elegies are contained in Chapter 7?

5. The "diaphonous girl" appears to be a part of __________.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What does Rilke mean when he refers to "pampered favorites"?

4. Describe the "diaphaonous girl."

5. Describe "To Music."

6. Describe "To Holderlin."

7. How did the editors connect praise and grief when putting together Rilke's sonnets?

8. What frustrations does Rilke mention in his sonnets?

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

10. Describe the elegy about angels.

(see the answer keys)

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