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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. Who is depicted in "Visits to St. Elizabeth's"?

2. In which section does the poet arrive in Santos?

3. Why does Bishop love the sea?

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

5. What is the title of one of the poems in Four Poems?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Bishop liken an iceberg to the soul in "The Imaginary Iceberg"?

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

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

5. What two things is Bishop comparing in "Brazil, January 1, 1502"?

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

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

8. What is the relationship between the fisherman and the fishhouse in "At the Fishhouses"?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In several poems, Bishop reveals herself to be a storyteller. In some cases she is part of the story, and in other cases she tells it from an outsider's perspective. Choose three poems that tell stories. How are these narrative poems different from Bishop's other work? What literary devices does she employ? Compare and contrast the three poems, commenting on whether each is effective, and why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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