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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. Why does the snail in "Giant Snail" pity himself?

2. In "Banks," to what does the poet compare his complaining?

3. To whom is "Sunday at Key West" dedicated?

4. Who is the angel in "Patience of an Angel"?

5. How does the crab in "Strayed Crab" view himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the location in "Santarem" parallel the Garden of Eden?

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

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

4. What does the porch symbolize in "Sunday at Key West"?

5. In what state does the poet imply she is currently in her poem "Sonnet," written in 1928?

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

7. What is the tone of "Lines Written in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook"?

8. How does Max Jacobs' "Hell Is Graduated" change in the course of the poem?

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

10. Do you think "Lullaby for the Cat" is simply an innocent rhyme, or do you think it has a deeper meaning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How are the poems composed in Bishop's youth unique in the collection? Do you see a difference in maturity between these and the later poems? Are there any clues in the earlier poems that predict what kind of poet Bishop will become? What differences do you see in terms of subject matter and approach? Do you think it was appropriate that the editors included poetry composed in Bishop's teen years, before she gained recognition? How would the reader's appreciation of Bishop as a writer be different if these poems had been omitted from the book?

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

What do you think is meant by the heading "Occasional Poems"? What does the word "occasional" connote in this context? How are the poems in this section alike and different? Are there any that you feel don't belong in this collection? Why or why not? How would your understanding of Bishop as a writer differ if these poems had been omitted?

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