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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 "Tell Me Something Good," what does the speaker pack a bag with?

2. In "Künstlerroman," what is the name of the dog the speaker lost?

3. In "Künstlerroman," what are the lover's clothes returned to them like?

4. In "Künstlerroman," what does the speaker do with the movie once it ends?

5. In "Not Even," what is the word for love in the speaker's language?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who were the main victims of many lynchings in "The Punctum"?

2. Where does the speaker in "The Punctum" visit?

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

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

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

6. What does the speaker eventually realize about himself and the man in the movie in "Künstlerroman"?

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

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

9. What particular item in "Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker" is ominous and morbid?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Vuong experiment with different forms and structures of his poems throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

How, and through which specific poems, does Vuong address the topic of violence throughout this collection - both accidental and intentional? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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