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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 name the boxing match at the end of the poem? (Poem 2-"Jamaica")

2. Who did the speaker in the poem "Blessings" ask forgiveness from?

3. In the three-line poem, poem eighteen "Village Tapes", what did the people describe a race toward?

4. What did Morrison say was built up again? (Poem 1-"Jamaica")

5. What was the name of the whore-house in the last poem of the section titled "Jamaica"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Morrison ask for forgiveness from Blacks? (Poem 3- "Villages Tapes")

2. What is happening in the poem "Cassandra at the Well"?

3. What message did Morrison claim was being sent at the end of the fourth poem in the "Drywater" section?

4. Why did Morrison claim that "I deserve this" at the end of the final poem from the "Drywater" section?

5. In the poem from the section "Jamaica", what did Morrison describe was happening?

6. In the first poem of the section titled "Drywater", how did Morrison describe the night?

7. In the second poem of the "Village Tapes" section, Morrison claimed that pilots are a problem. Why?

8. How did Morrison describe the vultures in the poem from the section "Jamaica"?

9. In the poem "Science of Night", whom is Morrison addressing?

10. Why did Morrison have the principal of the school holding his nose? ("Jamaica")

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

Based upon Morrison's poetry, what did you learn about the life of rock stars in the 1970's? What were they faced with? How did they live? Can you understand where the stereo-type of girls/sex/excess for musicians began? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Morrison claimed in the Self-Interview that he always wanted to write, but he was afraid of not being good at it. Do you think that Morrison succeeded at writing poetry, or that he (as he thought) failed? Why do you believe this? What helped him to succeed? Where did he fail? Support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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