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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. The poems in Book 1, Chapter 7 are listed as being written during ____________.

2. In what years were the "Uncollected Poems" written?

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

4. In the first elegy, what happens to the images as the poem continues?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Which elegy is the most emotional and why?

3. Describe Orpheus as Rilke describes him in his sonnets.

4. Describe the elegy about angels.

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

6. Describe the subject of the poem "Ariel."

7. What is "Faces" about?

8. What is "The Prodigal Son" about?

9. Describe "To Music."

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Of the poems in the book, which is your favorite? Why? What literary devices set the tone for that poem? Why is this pleasing?

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

What are the consequences of translating Rilke's poems from German to English? What is lost in translation? Is anything gained? Why or why not? Give one specific example.

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