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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 5 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. How many sentences does the poem contain?
2. What similarity is shared by every second line of the poem?
3. Which of the following describes the rhythm of the poem?
4. In line 5, which word is used to describe the rainwater on the wheelbarrow?
5. How are the lines of the poem arranged?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe the diction of this poem.
2. What are the images presented in this poem?
3. Describe the poem's form.
4. What is the most reasonable interpretation of this poem's setting, and why?
5. What is the surface meaning of this poem?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The assonance and rhythm that contribute to the central framing of the image of the wet wheelbarrow in the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" fight against the structure of the sentence that comprises the poem and the ambiguity of the poem's opening line, because these elements direct the reader's attention to the idea that "so much depends" (line 1). What is the reason for directing the reader's attention simultaneously to two different spots in the poem? How does this tension both literally and figuratively highlight the idea of one thing depending on another? Write an essay in which you explore this tension. Be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
Essay Topic 2
When Williams wrote this poem, he did not title it. It was merely given a number ("XXII") that indicated its position in the anthology. Some critics argue that giving it the title "The Red Wheelbarrow" undermines Williams's intentions. Write an essay that takes a position regarding how this title does or does not change the emphasis that Williams intended to create through the poem's rhythm, syntax, and linebreak. Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
Essay Topic 3
What is the significance of water in "The Red Wheelbarrow"? Do some research into the traditional meanings of water in literature and consider whether there is evidence in the poem that this is how Williams is using the rainwater. Consider the importance of the word "glazed" and the element of time that the water introduces into the poem. Write an essay that takes and defends a position on the meaning of the rainwater in "The Red Wheelbarrow." Support your argument with evidence drawn from the poem, and be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
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This section contains 599 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
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