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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 type of conflict is present in "The Civil War"?

2. What does "Doctors" criticize?

3. "The Death of Fathers" and "Angels of the Love Affair" are both comprised of _____ shorter poems.

4. What kind of poems are the collection "O Ye Tongues"?

5. Where is the blame assigned in "The Earth Falls Down"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sexton deal with feminism in Transformations?

2. What is the source material for "The Jesus Papers?" How does Sexton use this source material?

3. How does Sexton inject herself into the final poem of "The Jesus Papers?" Why does she do this?

4. How does Sexton deal with Christianity in "The Jesus Papers"?

5. Why do so many of the poems in The Death Notebooks deal with spirituality and Christianity?

6. What is the focus of Sexton's version of "Cinderella"?

7. Compare and contrast "The Death of Fathers" with "Angels of the Love Affair."

8. What does "Mary's Song" say about Sexton?

9. What is the purpose of the poem "The Gold Key"?

10. How is The Book of Folly set up?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is conceit? How does Sexton use conceit in her poetry? Use specific examples to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Explain how Sexton uses source material, such as fairy tales and Biblical stories, in her poems. What does her treatment of these stories say about her?

Essay Topic 3

Explain Sexton's experience with love, particularly as it relates to her poetry.

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