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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 type of language does Bishop employ in "Songs for a Colored Singer"?

2. What does "Jeronimo's House" reflect about the poet?

3. What color are the Brazilian warehouses?

4. How does Bishop tend to characterize a person's feelings and moods in the poems in North and South?

5. How did the title "The Man-Moth" come to be?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does the poet frame her journey in "Over 2,000 Illustrations and a Complete Concordance"?

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

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

5. What surprise does Bishop reveal in the last line of "Insomnia?"

6. How are the poems in North and South devoted to morning different?

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

8. In "Electrical Storm," why are the pearls twice described as dead?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of Bishop's poetry relates to geography. Citing specific poems, including "The Map," "Over 2,000 Illustrations and a Complete Concordance," "Brazil January 1, 1502," and the introduction to Geography III, discuss the importance of geography in Bishop's work. How does she see it? Why is it so important to her? How does it frame who she is, her subject matter, and her approach?

Essay Topic 2

Bishop's writing was not immune to the politics of the day. "The Hanging of the Mouse" and "Lullaby for the Cat" deal to some extent with the political times in which they were written. Discuss Bishop's unique approach to politics and its effectiveness. How can the reader tell that these are political poems? How does Bishop try to mask this fact? What is her ultimate goal in writing these poems--are they merely art, or an attempt to effect political change?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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