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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 which year was Van Duyn appointed as the Poet Laureate?

2. Which of the following words is used to describe Mary Swenson's work?

3. What was Meredith's job?

4. Which of the poets wrote a piece titled, "Frederick Douglass?"

5. W.D. Snodgrass served in which branch of the armed forces?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were some of the unusual jobs held by Robert Creeley? Who were Creelye's influenecs? How does Creeley feel about speaking to his readers?

2. 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.

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

4. 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?

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

6. Discuss the varied activities of James Dickey and the one thing that supposedly changed his life. What are some of the themes involved in Dickey's work?

7. 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.

8. Describe William Meredith's work and his main focus. Also list some of the poems included in his section.

9. Briefly describe the work of May Swenson. List some of Swenson's works included in the book.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Morals and shared values are a common theme throughout the book. For example, Amy Clampitt uses morality is a chief theme and Ellen Bryant Voigt's poems are referred to as being "moralistic." Examine how the poets use their work to share their ideas on morality. Do you think the poets simply want to express their opinions on certain moral issues or are they trying to impose moral beliefs on the reader? Choose one poem each from Clampitt and Voigt to support your opinions and insights.

Essay Topic 2

In several of the works, the poets manage to create characters and evoke emotions through the use of monologue and/or dialogue. As such the poet requires the reader to experience a situation through the eyes of another, effectively creating or using another voice rather than one's own. Explain how this might be done. If you were going to create a poem written in this way, what voice would you choose to use? How would you achieve the transformation? Would it be easier or more difficult to choose a fictional character? Would it be easier or more difficult to write through the eyes of the opposite sex?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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