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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. Who wrote "The Father, Who Could Not Swim"?

2. Who is the author of the poem "I Myself"?

3. Whose dad tipped the boat in "The Father, Who Could Not Swim"?

4. Who is the author of "Waking Instructions"?

5. "Last-Minute Message for a Time Capsule" is written by whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author miss in "Song of the Prodigal Son"?

2. What is described in "Dedication"? What simile is used to describe old papers?

3. How does the author describe death in "The Father, Who Could Not Swim"?

4. What does the author write about her choice to collect these poems in the Introduction?

5. What structural choices did the author make in "What Great Grief Has Made the Empress Mute"? Why?

6. How are the people described in the poem "and sometimes i hear this song in my head"?

7. What similes are described in "Other Lives"?

8. What personification and metaphor is used in the poem "Stranded"?

9. How does the author describe his parents in "Leaving the Lights On"?

10. What does the author discover in the sculptures in "The New World"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of words and language in "Naming" and "Learning Persian." How do the authors of these poems use personification in language?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of family in "Leaving the Light On." What does the author wonder about his parents? What conclusions does he find?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the theme of death in "Garage Sale" and "Benavides, Texas, 1906." How is the setting of each poem described? How does the setting impact the poem's tone?

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