View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of Chinaski's other friend in "Song'?

2. What happens to Chinaski as he gets thinner in "You Get So Alone At Times . . ."?

3. Chinaski likes the editor in one of the poems even though she is which of the following?

4. In "From an Old Dog in his Cups," what relationship is explored?

5. How does Chinaski think every older person wants to die?

Short Essay Questions

1. What allegory is present in "The Death of a Splendid Neighborhood"?

2. What does the lion in "Invasion" represent?

3. What does Chinaski say about lost pleasure?

4. In "Help Wanted," what does Chinaski fear?

5. Describe Chinaski's feelings for the woman in "The Beautiful Lady Editor."

6. Describe Bukowski's portrayal of populism in his poems.

7. How does Chinaski focus on the hidden horrors of life?

8. Why does Chinaski think he has so many female critics?

9. Describe Chinaski's thought process in "Everybody Talks Too Much."

10. Describe the poem "The Lady in the Castle."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the themes evident in the poems Bukowski has written? Identify at least three of these themes and provide specific examples from the text showing how the theme is created.

Essay Topic 2

What role does Chinaski's father play in the poems? What effect does he have on Chinaski and why? Can you see ways in which he has influenced Chinaski?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Chinaski's connection of populism to his distaste for the Lost Generation. In what other ways does Chinaski exhibit populism?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 867 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample