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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. How much does Chinaski owe to the IRS?

2. All the crazy poets Chinaski used to work with now have what kinds of jobs?

3. In "A Non-urgent Poem," a man says that Chinaski has lost which of the following?

4. Saroyan flees from the United States to _________.

5. What is Chinaski's emotion in "I'll Take It..."?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the overall tone and themes of the poems in Bukowski's book.

2. What type of conflict does "Red Mercedes" describe?

3. What relationships are defined in "A Non-urgent Poem" and "For My Ivy League Friends"?

4. What is the poem "Shoes" about?

5. What is Chinaski's view of solitude?

6. How is the Chinaski of 1986 described?

7. Which poem expresses a counterpoint of an indulgent and listless life?

8. What happens in "The Passing of a Great One" and "The Wine of Forever"?

9. Describe Chinaski's feelings for John Fante.

10. What recurring motif is made most apparent in "Rift"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the way in which Bukowski uses gallows humor, vaudeville, and irony in at least two of his poems. Find at least two specific examples from each of these two poems.

Essay Topic 2

What unifying statement does Bukowski use in his work? Why do you think it is significant to have a unifying statement? Is it a genuine statement? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Assess Bukowski's argument that there are no certainties or essential truths in the world. Support or refute this claim using examples from the text.

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