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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 does Rilke use in his elegies to move readers?

2. In Rilke's poem, what type of activity is feeding birds?

3. What does Rilke disregard in writing his elegies?

4. Which of the following is most unique to Rilke?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the elegy about angels.

2. Describe the "diaphaonous girl."

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

4. What does Rilke mean by "Every angel is terrifying"?

5. What is the difference between a poem and prose?

6. How does Rilke create a dramatic tone in his sonnets?

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

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

9. Describe "To Music."

10. Describe "To Holderlin."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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

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