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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 compare savages to in "Ode to LA"?

2. How did Morrison describe the laughter he had on the beach? (From the poem whose first line was "A vast radiant beach & a cool")

3. What did Morrison say was a child's first moment of freedom?

4. What did Morrison say an interview was similar to?

5. In the poem that started "In that year", what did Morrison claim to be stroked with?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Morrison state that the "ancient ones" wanted? (In the poem that began "A vast and radiant beach & a cool")

2. Why did Morrison claim that an interview was a "crucial mental exercise"?

3. How did Morrison state Jones' body looked when the gardener found it?

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

5. What did Morrison ask of the bird of prey? (In the poem that began "Bird of prey, Bird of prey")

6. In the poem that began "Well I'll tell you a story of whiskey", what did Morrison say about how the "whole thing began"?

7. In the poem that began "Why does my mind circle around you", what did Morrison say was wrong with the dog?

8. What happened at the beginning of the poem "Ode to LA"?

9. How did Morrison describe the girl in "Orange County Suite"?

10. Why did Morrison call an interview an "existential moment"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Morrison was very traumatized by the sight of the dead Native American Indians on the side of the road. Choose 3 poems and discuss how this trauma translated into poetry. How did Morrison use the imagery of what he saw on the highway? What impression did this sight leave on Morrison? How did the poem speak to Morrison's feelings about what happened?

Essay Topic 2

In a few of the poems, Morrison described relationships that he had with women. Discuss the different relationships that Morrison described in the poetry. What was the relationship based upon? How did you know this? How did Morrison feel about the relationship? About the woman? Use textual evidence to support your findings.

Essay Topic 3

At the end of Morrison's self-interview, he stated that he wanted his poetry to "deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel". Do you think that he succeeded in his hopes? How did his poetry make you see and feel differently? Where did it fail to make you do this? Do you continue to be "limited"? How?

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