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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who provides the main order of the letters included in the book?
(a) Humphrey Carpenter.
(b) Christopher Tolkien.
(c) Edith Bratt.
(d) J.R.R. Tolkien.

2. Where is the man whose accent Tolkien refers to as "English after being wiped over with a dirty sponge" from?
(a) New Hampshire.
(b) Connecticut.
(c) New England.
(d) Pennsylvania.

3. Which character does Tolkien indicate has gained the most power by wearing the Ring?
(a) Sauron.
(b) Gollum.
(c) The Witch-king of Angmar.
(d) Saruman.

4. Which poem does Rayner Unwin initially write to Tolkien about?
(a) "The Princess Ni."
(b) "Mythopoeia."
(c) "Once Upon a Time."
(d) "Errantry."

5. What has Tolkien found in his manuscript when he writes Letter #69?
(a) Too many metaphors.
(b) Inconsistencies.
(c) Inaccuracies.
(d) Too many analogies.

Short Answer Questions

1. As stated in the letters included in "Publisher Drama," how many times does Tolkien have the chance to use the poetic invention he makes?

2. How does Tolkien originally respond to Unwin's request about the poem?

3. What words does Tolkien use to replace "Elves"?

4. What is the only thing capable of destroying the Ring in Tolkien's story?

5. What two factors contribute to the main part of Letter #66 to Christopher?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was the collection of J.R.R. Tolkien's letters compiled and who helped with the process?

2. How old is Tolkien when the earliest letters begin and what is his situation?

3. What stipulation does Tolkien have in working with Allen & Unwin on publishing The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and what request do they have for him?

4. What happens between Collins and Tolkien during the publishing of The Lord of the Rings?

5. In what way does Tolkien realistically depict his job as a professor in 1952?

6. How is Tolkien's proficiency in writing displayed in the story he tells to Christopher in his April 3, 1944, letter?

7. What is the similarity between the Elves and the Machine, and what is the main difference between both sides, according to Tolkien in Letter #131?

8. How does Tolkien design Farmer Giles of Ham and what does he think about it being considered a children's story?

9. What clarification does Tolkien make about the word, "Elves"?

10. How does Tolkien characterize Sauron in Letter #131?

(see the answer keys)

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