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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. "The Night Is a Space of White Marble" carries a reference to which Greek god?

2. Which poem of Diane DiPrima's is an attack on Gary Snyder's conception of women as mere carriers of children?

3. In what year does William Burroughs Junior go to visit his father in "Tales of Beatnik Glory"?

4. Which poem of Peter Orlovsky's is included in the anthology?

5. When was Diane DiPrima born?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Gary Snyder? What settings appear in his work?

2. What does Bukowski insinuate about Neal Cassady in "Notes of a Dirty Old Man"?

3. Who is Brenda Frazer? What is "Poem to Lee Forest" about?

4. Describe Tuli Kupferberg and his pieces in The Portable Beat Reader.

5. What is "Nova Express" about?

6. What symbolism is evident in the works of Bob Dylan? What do these symbols represent?

7. What artistic and literary allusions are in "The Canticle of Jack Kerouac"?

8. What political allusions does Diane DiPrima make in "April Fool Birthday Poem for Grandpa"?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the singer/songwriter Bob Dylan and his works in the anthology. What influences of the Beat Generation can be seen in Dylan's writing?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the impact that the members of the Beat Generation had on those around them, as expressed in "Tales of Beatnik Glory." What were their families like?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the poets Gary Snyder and Philip Whalen. Where did these poets meet? How did they become associated with the Beat Generation?

(see the answer keys)

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