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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. "Poem from Jail" discusses the necessity of banning ____________.

2. Who is a former girlfriend of Jack Kerouac and wrote a book called "Minor Characters" about some of the lesser known people in Beat circles?

3. What former wife of Neal Cassady wrote about her experiences with Cassady and other beats in "Off the Road"?

4. Where does Highway Ninety-Nine begin?

5. When was Amiri Baraka born?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Amiri Baraka? What contributions of his are in the anthology?

2. Who is Philip Lamantia and what works of his are in the anthology?

3. What is the subject of "Kentucky Ham"?

4. What is "Nova Express" about?

5. Who is Ray Bremser? What is the subject of "Funny Lotus Blues..."?

6. What literary or mythical references are made in "The Night Is a Space of White Marble"?

7. What did Ed Sanders experience after reading "Howl"?

8. What does Carolyn Cassady say of her marriage in "Off the Road"?

9. Who is Philip Whalen? How does Whalen's poem about Sourdough Mountain differ from Snyder's?

10. What literary and political allusions are in "Sourdough Mountain Lookout"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

What is the New York School of Poetry? When did it originate? Who were the key members? How does it relate to the Beat Generation?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the poet Michael McClure. What are his contributions to the Beat Generation? In what works has he been immortalized?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 828 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample