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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. In "Toy Boat," what are the sparrows "pierced by"?

2. In "Ars Poetica as the Maker," what does the speaker gather fistfuls of?

3. In "Reasons for Staying," what does the speaker's mother apply before heading to chemo?

4. In "Künstlerroman," where are some of the places the man in the movie visits?

5. In "Not Even," what does the speaker say the word for weakness is in his language?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the speaker make a list of in "Reasons for Staying"?

2. In "Not Even," what does a young woman tell the speaker that the speaker finds offensive?

3. In "Scavengers," what kind of imagery does the speaker use?

4. What does the speaker do with the movie in "Künstlerroman"?

5. What are some reasons the speaker wants to stay in his hometown in "Reasons for Staying"?

6. Where does the speaker see himself in "Tell Me Something Good"?

7. Who does the speaker wish to communicate with in "No One Knows the Way to Heaven"?

8. What does the speaker do with Peter in "Nothing"?

9. In "Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker," what does the reader learn about the speaker's mother?

10. Where does the main in the movie keep returning to in "Künstlerroman"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which individual poems do you think Vuong demonstrates the most skill and effectiveness through throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Vuong address the act and topic of forgiveness throughout the collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

In the poem "American Legend," how does the speaker describe his relationship with his father? To what lengths does the speaker go to try to get closer to his father? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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