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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 "circuit" is Venus referring to when she tells Adonis "I have hemm’d thee here/ Within the circuit of this ivory pale" (lines 229-230)?

2. To what does the speaker compare Venus finally opening her eyes after her faint?

3. What event causes the speaker to say that "The night of sorrow now is turn’d to day" (line 481)?

4. What technique is used in lines 432 and 433, "my ears would love/ That inward beauty and invisible"?

5. How does the speaker characterize Venus's lapse into unconsciousness?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Adonis tries to get back on his horse and leave?

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

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

5. What is Venus's purpose in talking about her relationship with the god of war?

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

7. How do Venus and Adonis end up on the ground together?

8. Describe the stanza form in Venus and Adonis.

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

10. Explain the comparison made between Adonis's mouth and a "red morn" (line 453).

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

You have already considered how eroticism and humor make Venus and Adonis relatable to a wide audience. There is a more subtle element of this poem that also increases its relatability: anachronisms. What was the Elizabethan attitude toward historical accuracy in poetry and plays? Which was considered more important--accuracy or relatability? Write an essay in which you identify the anachronisms in this poem and then use historical and literary evidence to demonstrate that, far from being distractions, these elements of the poem would have actually increased its commercial appeal to an Elizabethan 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.

Essay Topic 2

Narcissism is a motif that runs throughout Venus and Adonis. Where are there overt references to Narcissus, and where is narcissism merely implied? Does the poem seem to be characterizing both Venus and Adonis as narcissistic? What is the implication of the poem's narcissism motif? Write an essay in which you analyze where this motif occurs and what its significance is to the overall meaning of the poem. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite any quoted language in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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