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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. "For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further" is a defense against whom?

2. Part I of the author's first book of poetry deals with the trauma of what?

3. How many sections are in "The Operation"?

4. "Music Swims Back To Me" is a reflection on the speaker's immersion in what?

5. "Music Swims Back To Me" presents an irony of the freedom where?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the collection Love Poems fit in with Sexton's other work?

2. How do the poems in Live or Die reflect Sexton's mental and emotional health?

3. Explain the use of animals in the poem "Loving the Killer."

4. What does the quote in the preface of All My Pretty Ones suggest about the purpose of art? How does this apply to Sexton's poetry?

5. Explain Sexton's retelling of the Icarus myth in "To a Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph."

6. One theme in All the Pretty Ones is the idea that poetry is catharsis. Why might poetry be catharsis for Sexton?

7. What is the focus of Part 2 of To Bedlam and Part Way Back?

8. How was Live or Die received after its publication?

9. Explain the poem "Suicide Note."

10. Explain how Sexton expresses love in All the Pretty Ones.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the purpose of Sexton's poetry? What message does she want to send with her poems?

Essay Topic 2

Explain how Sexton uses her poetry as a form of therapy. Use specific examples to illustrate your explanation.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Sexton's relationships with Sylvia Plath and John Holmes.

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