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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. What did Morrison say the "bleached sun" was needed for?

2. According to the "Wilderness" dedication, what is milk compared to?

3. Where did Morrison think some learned about Satan from?

4. How did Morrison describe the young child's mind? (From the poem that began "Bird of prey")

5. What kind of dream was stated as being "mad stifled witness"? ("Ode to LA" )

Short Essay Questions

1. In the poem that began "An angel runs", what happened when the angel ran?

2. In the poem beginning "A man rakes leaves into", what happened as the smell of burning leaves filled the air?

3. What did Morrison state happened to the savages in the poem "Ode to LA"?

4. What were the different ways that Morrison referred to Jones in "Ode to LA"?

5. What was happening on the beach in the poem that began "A vast and radiant beach& a cool"?

6. In the poem "Ode to LA", what did Morrison state was going to happen to Jones' body?

7. Why were the notebooks that Morrison kept in high school important?

8. What did Morrison say about the elimination of "space fillers" in an interview?

9. Who is Ophelia in the poem "Ode to LA"?

10. What were the musical references that Morrison made in "Ode to LA"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Morrison, many time, brings into the poetry references to drugs and alcohol. Discuss at least three different references and the impact that the reference had on Morrison and his life. Where did Morrison bring up drugs/alcohol? How did this reference speak to the theme of the poem? Why was this reference important to what Morrison wanted to say? Was the reference positive or negative? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Given that the poetry shows Morrison's direct concerns and feelings regarding life, which poem do you believe shows the most truthful representation of Morrison? How did the poem illustrate Morrison as a man, a writer, and a legend? How did he feel about who he was?

Essay Topic 3

Morrison used the imagery of birds in many of the poems in the book. Discuss the different ways that the birds were used in the poems. Chose at least 3 poems in which Morrison used birds and explain their use in the poem. How was the usage similar? How was the usage different?

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