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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 what year did Swenson move to New York?

2. What was A.R. Ammons field of study in college?

3. Randall Jarrell's poetry is typically centered around which event/era?

4. What was the name of the publication edited by Van Duyn?

5. What was Meredith's job?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Robert Penn Warren considered to be one of the country's most famous poets? What position did Warren hold in the 1960s?

2. Which major award was won by W. D. Snodgrass? How might Snodgrass' poems be described?

3. Discuss some of David Wagoner's influences and inspirations. How is Wagoner's work characterized?

4. What was Allen Ginsberg's first major success? What made Ginsberg into an iconic poet?

5. Discuss some of Denise Levertov's themes as well as potential influences on her work and her life.

6. Discuss the poets listed in the first section. Examine at least one of the topics two or more of the poets have in common.

7. What is unusual about W.S. Merwin's choice of career? What are some of the main topics and/or themes often used by Merwin?

8. What is unusual about Donald Justice's poetry? What does he encourage the reader to see in his work?

9. Examine the unique style of Anthony Hecht as well as some of his professional experiences. Also list some of the poems written by Hecht and included in this book.

10. Howard Moss is best known for working with which iconic magazine? What is Moss' style? List some of the poems written by Moss and included in this book.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many people appreciate epigrams because of their brevity. Many are also humorous. Which of the poets is best known for writing epigrams? What is your opinion on the epigram? Compare and contrast the epigram to at least three other styles of poetry, e.g., haiku.

Essay Topic 2

Politics is a common theme through the book. Why do you think poets would choose to write about politics and war in a format that was often related to love and other positive emotions? What issues are addressed in the poetry in the book? Who do you consider to be the most vocal political poet? Explain. What are the top three points the poets try to get across when discussing political matters in poetry? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

David Wagoner, James Merrill, John Berryman and Richard Wilbur are all noted for their skill in writing lyric poetry. What is lyric poetry? How does writing lyric poetry differ from writing song lyrics? What is the format and technique of writing lyric poetry? What is the value of lyric poetry? Compare and contrast one poem from each poet to determine the best case of lyric poetry. Also compare the work of these poets to the work of famed lyric poet W. B. Yeats.

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