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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 similar about the language in the poems in North and South?

2. Who is the old man in "At the Fishhouses"?

3. What does Bishop's uncommon vocabulary reflect about her settings?

4. To what does Bishop devote three poems to in North and South?

5. When did Bishop meet Moore?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the poet's descriptions in "Arrival at Santos" reflect her dual state of mind?

2. In "Questions of Travel," does the poet decide it is better to travel, or stay home and use one's imagination?

3. What is Bishop comparing in "Large Bad Picture" when she refers to "commerce or contemplation"?

4. How is the writing style in "The Riverman" unlike most of Bishop's poems?

5. Why does "Arrival at Santos" end with the tour group heading toward the interior of Brazil?

6. How does Bishop portray the hermit's loneliness in "Chemin de Fer"?

7. In what form is "The Burglar of Babylon" written? Why does the poet use this form?

8. What is similar about the poems in North and South devoted to morning?

9. How is the tone of "A Cold Spring" in contrast to its subject matter?"

10. Why does Bishop use the structure of building each line upon the last in "Visits to St. Elizabeth's"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of Bishop's poetry relates to nature. Citing specific poems from various sections throughout the text, analyze Bishop's relationship to the natural world in a general sense. How does she view it? What is its meaning and significance? How would her writing be different if this element were absent?

Essay Topic 2

Bishop shows a special fondness for water in her poetry. Does it have one symbolic meaning, or many? What are the allegorical and metaphorical connections she draws relating to water? Cite a variety of different poems to support your claim. For example, in "Pleasure Seas," how does she view natural bodies of water as opposed to man-made swimming pools?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Bishop's use of personification in the three poems in Rainy Season; Sub Tropics. What does each animal tell us about the speaker's view of humanity? Why do you think Bishop chose the specific animals she did? How would the poem have been different if she had used exaggerated human characters?

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