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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 time frame in which the poems of Live or Die were written?

2. How many poems are in Part 3 of All My Pretty Ones?

3. In "For Eleanor Boylan Talking With God," what does the speaker witness a woman doing?

4. How are the poems arranged in Live or Die?

5. How many parts is All My Pretty Ones divided into?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

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

4. Give at least one example of Sexton's use of humor in Love Poems.

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

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

7. What is the crossroads Sexton finds herself at in "The Fortress"?

8. What is the significance of the title Live or Die?

9. Explain how Sexton uses religion in All the Pretty Ones.

10. What is the meaning of the title "The Fortress"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

What role does religion/spirituality, particularly Christianity, play in Sexton's poetry?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Sexton's experience of motherhood from her mother with her experience of motherhood as a mother herself, especially as it relates to her poetry.

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