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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. Which animal's motions are most notable through Rilke's poems?

2. What is the name of the last poem in Book 1, Chapter 3?

3. In the poem "Archaic Torso of Apollo," the poet is most similar to __________.

4. Which of the following do not describe a poem in Rilke's book?

5. Which of the following describes the ancient women?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the first line in the poem about Alcestis significant?

2. Why is the "City of Time" a complex translation?

3. What does the swan represent in Rilke's poem in which it is the subject?

4. What is the significance of the title "Requiem for a Friend"?

5. Why is it significant for Rilke to write about the sun in "Archaic Torso of Apollo"?

6. How does Rilke describe the gazelle in the poem in which it is the subject?

7. How does Rilke describe death in "Requiem for a Friend"?

8. What is the tone of "Requiem for a Friend"?

9. What does Rilke seem to think about the abnormal women he dedicates a poem to in Book 1, Chapter 3?

10. How does the author show genuine emotion in poetry, especially in Book 1, Chapter 5?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance behind the organization of the poems? How are they organized and why? Does this contribute to the quality of the reading or the message of the poems?

Essay Topic 2

How does Rilke use tone to convey a message? What literary techniques does he use to contribute to tone and message?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the panther, gazelle, and swan poems to each other. What are the differences in message, literary devices, and rhyming techniques? Why are these devices important to the poems? What do they say about Rilke?

(see the answer keys)

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