View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Instead of using a common set of opposites, the author suggests using something similar to which topic?

2. "Cut-and-Shuffle" requires the students to write how many poems?

3. Which of the following is not one of the objectives in the exercise?

4. Students are encouraged to use unusual words through which method?

5. Who wrote "Make Your Own System?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the techniques employed in "Found in Translation" and "Homophonic Translation?"

2. According to the author of this section, what is the most difficult task facing students?

3. What should students use as a basis for writing a poem in the section titled "Lyric Poetry"?

4. What is a nesting rhyme? How does it compare to a diminishing rhyme? Explain the technique.

5. Explain the tool used in "In a Dark Room: Photography and Revision" and how they can help students in their work.

6. What is the purpose of the exercises in "Cut and Shuffle?" What technique is used?

7. Why does the author choose to use "A Lewis Carroll Carol" as a learning tool?

8. Name two exercises that give students ideas on how to jump start or rewrite a poem that is not working in its present state.

9. What is the purpose of cutting up magazines in Waldman's exercise "Collaborative Cut up?"

10. Why is rewriting a poem in formal verse a good antidote for a flawed free verse poem?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Deborah Digges introduces construction and deconstruction in "Block, Pillar, Slab, and Beam." Compare and contrast the two methods. State which you think is more effective in learning about poetry. Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

In "Dramatic Monologue: Carving the Voice, Carving the Masks," the author requires students to write through the eyes of another, effectively creating or using another voice rather than one's own. Explain how this might be done. What voice would you choose to use? How would you achieve the transformation? Would it be easier or more difficult to choose a fictional character? Would it be easier or more difficult to write through the eyes of the opposite sex?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Jackson Mac Low? What is his contribution to "The Practice of Poetry?"

Explain in detail Low's "Make Your Own System." Choose one of the following exercises:

1. Explain the purpose and format of an acrostic. How was the concept derived? How is the poem started? What is the preferred length? Is one limited by length or subject matter? What other items can be found in an acrostic form? Find one of Low's famous acrostics for study.

2. Explain the purpose and format of a daistic. How was the concept derived? How is the poem started? What is the preferred length? Is one limited by length or subject matter? What other items can be found in a daistic form? Find one of Low's famous daistics to use for study.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 833 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample