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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. In the poem about the abnormal women, which stanza is the longest?

2. What became of Bohemia?

3. What follows from "I have my dead"?

4. Which of the following is a characteristic of the abnormal women in Rilke's poem?

5. What type of religion is Bavaria known for?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the tone change in "I am the Anxious One"?

3. Describe Rainer Marie Rilke's background.

4. Choose one poem from Book 1, Chapter 2 and dissect the meaning.

5. Why is it important to know background information about Rainer Marie Rilke before reading the poems?

6. What does Rilke proclaim in "I am the Anxious One"?

7. How does the author change from the first stanza to the second in "I am the Anxious One"?

8. Describe the differences between the poems in Book 1, Chapter 2 and the poems in Book 1, Chapter 1.

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

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

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

What role does personfiication play in Rilke's work? Which poem is most effective in personification and why? What effect does personification have on the reader? Why do writers personify objects?

Essay Topic 3

How does Rilke use allusion in his poems? Why do you think he does this? How does Rilke mix allusion with creativity? Is it effective? Why or why not?

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