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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. During one of these fights, who planted rumors that Rikyu planned to poison his lord?

2. Tea-masters are _______________ when choosing the art.

3. Tea-masters were conscious of art as what?

4. What are a part of the tea room and also Japanese culture in general?

5. Humans have demonstrated again and again that they are what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does one enter a tea room?

2. How does Okakura illustrate this attitude towards life?

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

4. Who was Rikyu? What problem existed between him and Hideyoshi?

5. How do the Japanese show that art is important to them?

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

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

8. Why does Okakura use this tale?

9. What do tea-masters think of life?

10. Do humans deserve flowers, according to the author? Explain.

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

Humans have demonstrated that they are unworthy of the flower.

Part 1) How have humans demonstrated this? Is the flower unique to being mistreated by man? Explain.

Part 2) How does the Cult of Flowers try to go against this fact? Do Americans treat flowers with respect? Why or why not?

Part 3) Are humans worthy of anything? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

There are two thoughts on flower arrangement.

Part 1) What are these two thoughts? How do these two thoughts compare? How have they both come to exist?

Part 2) How do these two thoughts support the Eastern view of flower arrangement? How do they also support other Eastern beliefs?

Part 3) Do these two thoughts exist in the West? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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