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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. What animal roams the streets in one assumption?

2. If a person can't think small when writing a poem, Hugo suggests that he try _____.

3. Hugo uses single-syllabic words to show _____.

4. At the risk of violating the facts, Hugo believes that the subject of a poem should serve _____.

5. Hugo believes that after a long time and a lot of writing, a poet can go back to places of _____.

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Hugo feel that young poets find it difficult to free themselves from the initiating subject of a poem?

2. According to Hugo, what happens to words in a news article?

3. Describe the two outcomes of the annual picnic in the triggering town.

4. What is the nature of the initiating subject?

5. Describe Hugo's advice on hard work when writing poetry.

6. How does Hugo describe looking at the world of the imagination?

7. How does Hugo describe the role of the imagination in poetry?

8. Describe the function of assumptions in the triggering town.

9. How does Hugo think Roethke's teaching would affect modern students (at the time the book was written)?

10. In Hugo's opinion, why do most students respect Roethke as a teacher?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are Hugo's views on whether or not good writing can actually be taught? What is the role of a good teacher?

Essay Topic 2

Compare Hugo's impression of Italy during World War II and Italy when he and his wife visit after the war. What has changed? How does he put closure on his war experience?

Essay Topic 3

What are Hugo's thoughts on having a stance in writing a poem? What examples does he give regarding stance and how does the presence or absence of a stance determine the poem's effectiveness?

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