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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. How does the character distinguish himself from others with the same name?

2. In "The Moose," why are the people's reactions to the moose surprising?

3. How does nature celebrate the birth of a baby in "From 'The Life and Death of a Severino'"?

4. In "Lines Written in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook," what is the poet's attitude toward Fannie Farmer?

5. Of the Spanish poems Bishop translated, which is the most poetic?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Bandeira so concerned about the specifics of his last poem in "My Last Poem"?

2. What is the moral Bishop puts forth in "Thank-You Note"?

3. Why does the poet begins the section called Geography III with a geography lesson that throws a series of unanswered questions at the reader?

4. What was the political situation that inspired "The Hanging of the Mouse"?

5. Which stanza in section XIV of "From 'The Death and Life of a Severino'" seems different from the others?

6. What does "12 O'Clock News" reveal about the way Bishop views familiar objects?

7. How does Octavio Paz view the beginning of a new year in "January First"?

8. In what style is Bandeira's poem "Brazilian Tragedy" composed?

9. What do all the metaphorical places in "For C.W.B." have in common?

10. What does the poet mean by the line "We are too innocent and wise" in "The Wave"?

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

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 3

Several of Bishop's poems discuss what it means to be a traveler. Examine "Questions of Travel," "Brazil January 1, 1502," and one other poem on this subject. What is Bishop's relationship to travel and to the places she travels to? Why is she torn about it? Does she ultimately come to some resolution about the questions she poses?

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