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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 of the following poems has the theme of being held back?

2. Which of the following seems to have inspired Rilke the most?

3. What does the panther serve to be a symbol of?

4. Which adjective best describes both of the poems about the human condition in Book 1, Chapter 2?

5. Which of the following best describes the rhyme scheme of the gazelle poem?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How is the panther portrayed in the poem in which it is the subject?

4. Describe the poem about Rilke's father in Book 1, Chapter 2.

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

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

7. What are the consequences of translating German to English?

8. Describe the mythical and legendary women that Rilke describes in Book 1, Chapter 2.

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

10. What is the classical theme that Rilke presents in both "Alcestis" and "Archaic Torso of Apollo"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of rhyme scheme in a poem? What effect does translation have on rhyming in this book of poems? What is your opinion of the rhyming pattern of the poems?

Essay Topic 2

How does religion influence Rilke? Is it positive or negative as an influence? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

What is the message of "For the Sake of a Single Poem"? What literary devices are used in the poem, and what effect do they have?

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