View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Michael S. Harper created his work by combining autobiography and ____.
(a) Science.
(b) Fiction.
(c) Myth.
(d) Slang.

2. Edward Hirsch currently works as the head of which prestigious organization?
(a) Library of Congress.
(b) Guggenheim Foundation.
(c) National Endowment for the Arts.
(d) Pulitzer Prize Committee.

3. In which year did Anne Sexton win the Pulitzer Prize?
(a) 1958.
(b) 1962.
(c) 1967.
(d) 1974.

4. Heather McHugh studied under which famous poet?
(a) Allen Ginsberg.
(b) Theodore Roethke.
(c) Robert Lowell.
(d) Walt Whitman.

5. Rita Dove was named as the ____ Poet Laureate.
(a) 9th.
(b) 11th.
(c) 7th.
(d) 8th.

Short Answer Questions

1. Michael Harper was greatly influenced by which type of music?

2. Gary Snyder focuses a lot of his work around which topic?

3. Who wrote "Venetian Interior, 1889?"

4. Which of the following is a main theme in Amy Clampitt's work?

5. Sylvia Plath wrote a poem in honor of God's lioness _____.

Short Essay Questions

1. What prompted Anne Sexton to begin writing poetry? What was Sexton's style? What are some characteristics of Sexton's style?

2. Dave Smith's work has been compared to which famous poets? Discuss Smith's earlier poems and the evolution of his work.

3. What first inspired Charles Wright to write poetry? Where was Wright at the time? How can Wright's early work be characterized? How did Charles Wright's work evolve?

4. Jay Wright had a way of combining facts about various cultures and relating them to his heritage. Discuss Wright's heritage and how he celebrated the accomplishments of others.

5. Where was Charles Simic born? How did his youth affect his poetry? What themes are often seen in Simic's work? What technique is often used by Simic?

6. Who was the biggest influence in Sylvia Plath's life? When did they meet? What type of work is most often related to Plath? Plath is often grouped with which poets?

7. Who was Adrienne Rich? What causes did she promote through her work?

8. Discuss the rhyme and tone of "Ballad of Ladies Lost and Found." Who are some of the people mentioned in the poem? What is the rhyme scheme? What form does Hacker use in this poem?

9. How does Ellen Bryant Voigt compare poetry to music? Why does Voigt make this comparison? In which part of the poem is the comparison most evident?

10. What type of work did Richard Howard produce? Examine Richard Howard's fascination with the figures of 19th century high society. Also list some of the poems contained in his section.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,035 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample