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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 is the last poem in Live or Die?

2. What is the speaker doing in "The Fortress"?

3. What is the lover compared to in "Mr. Mine"?

4. What point of view is "The House" written in?

5. How is God portrayed in "For God While Sleeping"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sexton use her poetry as a form of therapy in Live or Die?

2. What does the preface of Live or Die reveal about the poems in it?

3. How does Sexton use the book Love Poems? Give at least two examples.

4. Why do you think Part 2 of To Bedlam and Part Way Back only contains three poems?

5. What are the two major themes dealt with in Live or Die, and how are they dealt with?

6. What is the significance of "For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further"?

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

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

9. Explain the poem "Eighteen Days Without You."

10. What makes To Bedlam and Part Way Back autobiographical?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how the arrangement of the poems in Sexton's collections contributes to the reader's experience.

Essay Topic 2

Explain Sexton's obsession with death, particularly as it relates to her poetry.

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

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