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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. Before the gates of which of the following does the narrator offer to prostrate herself?

2. Which of the following is the narrator named by “dark rosettes” (77)?

3. To which of the following *pieces of sports equipment* does the narrator compare a skull in “Dome Riddle”?

4. Which of the following flowers does the narrator note as present in her parents’ home?

5. Which of the following is the first line of “No More Cake Here”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reaction does the narrator have to her brother appearing as a Judas effigy in “How to Go to Dinner with a Brother on Drugs”?

2. What reason does the narrator give for considering a skull in “Dome Riddle”?

3. How does the narrator summarize the appearance of her parents’ home in “How to Go to Dinner with a Brother on Drugs”?

4. Into what sections is “Formication” divided?

5. How does the narrator of “I Lean Out the Window and She Nods Off in Bed, the Needle Gently Rocking on the Bedside Table” report painting her lover’s arms?

6. What explanations are offered for the narrator’s brother’s arrests in “Downhill Triolets”?

7. What does the narrator posit might be the worst part of the funeral for her brother?

8. What hellish vision does the narrator’s mother see in “My Brother at 3 A.M.”?

9. In what circumstances does the narrator of “When the Beloved Asks, ‘What Would You Do if You Woke Up and I Was a Shark?’” note having considered the question of the title?

10. What reasons does the narrator give for taking her brother to dinner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrator’s brother cites Lionel Richie as having influenced his bad behavior. What effect does the specific citation have on the reader? How might it be different with another artist? Why might it be so?

Essay Topic 2

Near the beginning of “Other Small Thundering,” the narrator makes mention of “Charon’s narrow skiffs” (31). What purpose does the Classical reference serve? How is that purpose enacted?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast any two of the poems in the collection in terms of overall effect. Attend not only to their formal features, but also to their content and its implications.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 755 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample