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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 Bible story is alluded to in "Santarem?"

2. What does "Brazilian Tragedy" depict?

3. What effect do the lights have on the city in "Night City"?

4. What does "For C.W.B." depict?

5. To what does the poet compare love in the third part of Three Valentines?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Carlos Drummond de Andrade's "Infancy," why does the author refer to Robinson Crusoe as "the long story that never comes to an end"?

2. What do the various animals symbolize in "A Word with You"?

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

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

5. Why did Bishop write "The Mountain" in the first person?

6. What do the hats come to symbolize in "Exchanging Hats"?

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

8. Why do you think Bishop chooses animals to symbolize the players in "The Hanging of the Mouse"?

9. What are two meanings of the title "The Waiting Room"?

10. How is the character in "The Giant Toad" an exaggerated human figure?

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

What does "12 O'Clock News" tell us about Bishop's unique powers of observation and her ability to see things from a different perspective? Why do you think she chose to present the items in terms of newspaper stories? Do you think she is merely being playful, or is this a more serious commentary on journalism? Use specific examples from the poem to support your claim.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Bishop's sense of humor as evidenced by her poetry. Is her humorous tone consistent across the various poems, or does it change? Why do you think she chooses a humorous approach in these poems? How does it make the poetry more effective? How would these poems be different if the writing were more objective? Cite specific poems to support your claim. Some poems you might consider include "The Man-Moth," "Lines Written in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook," and "12 O'Clock News."

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