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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Marilyn Hacker spends six months of the year in New York; the other six months in _____.
(a) Amsterdam.
(b) Vancouver.
(c) Paris.
(d) New Orleans.

2. What famous poet first inspired Charles Wright?
(a) Eliott.
(b) Ginsberg.
(c) Roethke.
(d) Pound.

3. Which of the following words is not used to describe Wright's work?
(a) Mundane.
(b) Rhetorical.
(c) Nostalgic.
(d) Surreal.

4. In which year did Anne Sexton die?
(a) 1967.
(b) 1974.
(c) 1978.
(d) 1981.

5. Who wrote the poem titled, "Onions?"
(a) Hacker.
(b) Smith.
(c) Matthews.
(d) Olds.

Short Answer Questions

1. C.K. Williams worked as which of the following?

2. In what year was Robert Haas named Poet Laureate?

3. What word is used to describe Robert Frost's work?

4. Which poem was written for a survivor of Hiroshima?

5. Which of the poets was born in the south but uses a northern perspective?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How did Audre Lorde often identify herself? Where was Lorde born? What was Lorde's style?

3. 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?

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. Discuss Louise Gluck's poems that use a garden as the main theme. Which poems reflect this theme? Analyze at least one of the poems. Did Gluck write similar poems that are not included in this book?

6. Heather McHugh's poem, "The Typewriter's the Kind," tells the story of a writer sitting in front of a type writer. Discuss the meaning of the poem and which passage best describes what McHugh is feeling about her work.

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

8. 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.

9. How does Michael S. Harper incorporate his heritage into his work? What was Harper's biggest influence? What themes commonly appear in his poetry? List some of Harper's poems that appear in this book.

10. 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?

(see the answer keys)

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