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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. Which is the first of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poems featured in Some San Francisco Renaissance Poets Part One?

2. When was Philip Whalen born?

3. Where is the city of Rotterdam, cited in Corso's "Vision of Rotterdam"?

4. "Kaddish" is a poem about the life and death of whom?

5. Where did Allen Ginsberg move in the 1950s?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kerouac's letter to Neal Cassady reveal about their friendship?

2. Describe the symbolism in "On the Road" as it relates to the theme of American values. What is an example of Kerouac's metaphor of America?

3. Who is John Clellon Holmes, and what is his impact on the Beat Generation?

4. Describe William S. Burroughs' excerpt from "Junky." What is significant about this subject?

5. What are some examples of religious allusion in "Howl"? What do they represent?

6. Who is Neal Cassady? How is he introduced in the text?

7. What repetition is used in the "Peyote Poem"? Why?

8. Describe Kerouac's depiction of the jazz band in the excerpt from "On the Road." To whom are they compared ?

9. What are Herbert Huncke's contributions in the anthology? On what subjects does he focus?

10. What religious allusion is used in the poem "Thou Shalt Not Kill"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the works of Allen Ginsberg. What is his most famous work? What stylistic devices does Ginsberg employ? Use examples in your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Lawrence Ferlinghetti's role within the Beat Generation. Where is Ferlinghetti based? What is his style of writing?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the Beat icon Neal Cassady. When was he born and when did he die? What was his family like? How did he meet the other Beats? What was the general opinion of Cassady?

(see the answer keys)

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