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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. Which is the best definition of "even" in Venus's question "What hour is this? or morn or weary even" (line 495)?

2. What does Adonis do just before he turns his head away from Venus's kiss?

3. What technique is used when, in line 108, Venus says that Mars made "my arms his field, his tent my bed"?

4. To whom is the poem dedicated?

5. Which technique is used in line 219, "Red cheeks and fiery eyes blaze forth her wrong"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Throughout the passage, which participants in a trial is Venus compared to?

2. What plan does Adonis share with Venus just as she is finally about to let him leave her, and how does Venus react?

3. Explain the conceit that Venus uses when she compares herself to a park.

4. What does Venus convey in the speech about her senses that begins in line 433, "Had I no eyes but ears"?

5. In lines 131 and 132, what does Venus mean when she tells Adonis that "Fair flowers that are not gather’d in their prime/ Rot, and consume themselves in little time"?

6. What does Venus tell Adonis will "buy" her heart (line 514), and how does she propose that he "seal" the bargain (line 516)?

7. How does the mare react to the stallion at first, and how does her reaction change?

8. Explain the epic simile about an eagle in lines 55-60.

9. What does Venus tell Adonis would happen if their positions were reversed?

10. What does Venus tell Adonis he can learn from his horse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Venus and Adonis ironically dismisses many of the religious values of Ancient Greece and Rome. But does it express the Christian worldview of Renaissance England in other ways, as well? What values and beliefs does the poem seem to endorse--either explicitly or implicitly? Does the poem contain any religious symbolism, allusions, metaphors, or similes? Write an essay in which you analyze the extent to which Venus and Adonis actively promotes the Christian worldview, as opposed to simply denying the Classical worldview. Support your arguments with evidence from throughout the poem, making sure to cite any quoted language and outside sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

In Western literature, red is traditionally associated with beauty, and white is traditionally associated with virtue. Shakespeare uses these colors and their traditional symbolic meanings in many of his works. Does he do so in Venus and Adonis? What statement is this poem making about virtue? Is it related to beauty in any way? Where do the colors red and white occur in the poem, and what does each seem to be associated with? Write an essay in which you take a position on whether the colors red and white represent beauty and virtue in Venus and Adonis. Support your assertions with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem; cite any borrowed language in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one element of the poem that seems to you to be particularly aimed at creating a broad appeal and might therefore have factored into the poem's commercial success. You might focus on the poem's humor, its relatability, its eroticism, or some other factor not yet discussed in this context--such as the Elizabethan interest in Ancient Greece and Rome, for instance. Write an essay that focuses on your chosen element: offer evidence from throughout Venus and Adonis to support your claim that this element is a notable feature of the poem, and then offer historical and literary evidence that demonstrates why this element was likely to have appealed to a wide audience. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from throughout the poem, making sure to cite any quoted language and outside sources in MLA format.

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