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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 does the speaker in "Jacob's Ladder" think the woman's grief signifies at the end of the poem?

2. Who does the speaker in "Field Flowers" address?

3. What does the speaker in "Vespers" (#5) say she lives mostly in at the start of the poem?

4. What time of year does the poet in "The Doorway" wish she could remain forever?

5. How does the speaker in "End of Summer" refer to humanity?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Vespers" (#3), why does the poet think she is "uniquely/ suited to praise [God]" (38)?

2. In "Daisies," what do the daisies tell the poet will happen is she tries to share her "impressions of the natural world" (39) with others?

3. What is different about John's peace in comparison to the poet's in "Vespers" (#4)?

4. What does the clover question in regards to people's view of the four leaf clover in "Clover"?

5. Why does God say he is not pleased with His creations in "End of Summer"?

6. What does the poet say were some of the signs God existed in her youth in "Vespers" (#6)?

7. Why does God tell humans that they need not fear death in "Harvest"?

8. What does the poet express regret for thinking in "Matins" (#7)?

9. What does the jacob's ladder plant think may be the reason for the woman's grief in "Jacob's Ladder"?

10. "In Doorway," how does the poet describe the late spring?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the couple portrayed in Wild Iris. Do you feel the couple in the poems which mention John is the same couple in poems like "Presque Isle" which do not mention a name? Why or why not? If not, who do you think the other couple is? Explain your answers using direct evidence from the poems.

Essay Topic 2

God's absence, silence, or potential non-existence is discussed in several of the poems. Choose a minimum of 3 poems and analyze the words, images, and metaphors the poet uses to discuss these themes.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing the theme of immortality in 3 - 5 poems from Wild Iris. Use textual evidence to support your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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