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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. What is the name of the tea room?

2. Is death a great thing to these masters?

3. Okakura tells the story of the _________ Tea of Rikyu.

4. Can vain artists, absorbed with their own genius, ever truly connect with others?

5. Tea-masters, in choosing art for their ceremonies, only choose what pieces?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do tea-masters think of life?

2. How is the tea room different from other forms of architecture?

3. How is non-symmetry and non-repetition important?

4. What is a Sukiya?

5. Why does Okakura use this tale?

6. What is the connection between man and flowers?

7. Why is the tea room intended to be barren?

8. Describe the inside of a tea room.

9. How are art masters immortal?

10. How have tea-masters furthered art in Japan? What else have they influenced?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Okakura tells the story of the Last Tea of Rikyu.

Part 1) Describe the Last Tea of Rikyu. Why does he tell this story? What does it illustrate? What does it reinforce?

Part 2) How does this story compare to our own folk tales? What commonalities exist? What differences exist?

Part 3) Why might the author have ended this book with this story? How does this ending affect the reader?

Essay Topic 2

The Japanese under Emperor Meiji in the second half of the 19th century were pursuing efforts to modernize.

Part 1) Describe these efforts. Why was modernization important? How did this modernization affect Japanese culture?

Part 2) How does the author feel about modernization in Japan? Why does he feel this way? What does he do regarding modernization? How does this book support his beliefs regarding modernization?

Part 3) How has modernization affected various cultures? Is modernization good? Why or why not? How has modernization affected the U.S.? How has it affected your own community and life? Do you see this as a positive thing? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Tea is art and requires a tea master to bring out its "noblest qualities."

Part 1) How is tea art? What are the requirements for something to be a work of art, according to the author? What are tea's noble qualities?

Part 2) How does a tea master bring out the "noblest qualities" in tea? What else is a tea master capable of? How have tea masters helped to shape Japanese culture?

Part 3) What is an American art form? Who has been instrumental in the evolution of this art form?

(see the answer keys)

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