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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 does the tone of "Letter to N.Y." reveal about the friendship portrayed?

2. What do the poems in Four Poems describe?

3. On what is "The Riverman" based?

4. What is the poet surprised to learn?

5. What accessory was Marianne Moore's trademark?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Bishop use humor in "Manners"?

2. What is the significance of the title of "The Prodigal"?

3. Why does Bishop chose the word "flying" in "Invitation to Miss Marianne Moore"?

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

5. In what way does the language contrast with the emotional situation in "Songs for a Colored Singer?"

6. What is the significance of the trees capturing the music in "View of the Capitol from the Library of Congress"?

7. How does Bishop feel about winter in "The Colder the Air"?

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

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

10. How does Bishop portray water in the poems in North and South?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The New Poems section is comprised of four poems written shortly before Bishop's death. Do you see any connections among them? Do they differ in any way from the other poems in the text? Compare and contrast these poems with the poems in Poems Written in Youth. In what ways did the poet remain consistent, and in what ways did she change as a writer as she matured?

Essay Topic 2

What is Bishop's attitude toward the characters in "Exchanging Hats"? Is it objective or judgmental? Support your claim with specific quotations from the poem. Does her attitude seem out of character for Bishop, considering the sense of humor she displays in other poems? Do you think her attitude has to do with the fact that the trend she witnesses is started by an "unfunny uncle"? Might she view things differently if the trend had been started by someone she admired?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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