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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. In Sonnet XVIII, Neruda says that Matilde moves through the mountains as swiftly as what two objects?

2. In Sonnet XV, what does Neruda say Matilde is made out of?

3. In Sonnet XXIX, where is Matilde born?

4. In Sonnet XXI, what season does Neruda say he does not want to go "one moment more without?"

5. What does Neruda plead with Matilde not to do in Sonnet XLV?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Neruda affected by the "bitter love" he experiences in Sonnet III?

2. In what manner does Neruda say he loves Matilde in Sonnet XVII?

3. How does Neruda describe Matilde's hands in Sonnet XL?

4. What is Matilde's role in the "miniature empire" Neruda describes in Sonnet XXXVI?

5. Why does Neruda give Matilde the title "The One Who Puts Things in Order" in Sonnet XXXI?

6. In Sonnet I, how does Neruda describe Matilde's name?

7. What are some aspects of Matilde's ugliness and beauty does Neruda list in Sonnet XX?

8. List some examples of earth imagery Neruda uses to describe Matilde in Sonnet XXX.

9. What imagery does Neruda use to describe Matilde as he watches her walk by the sea in Sonnet X?

10. What is Neruda looking for when he studies other women in Sonnet XLIII?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Neruda's poetry is packed with images from nature, and nature plays a dominant role in most of Neruda's sonnets.

1) Trace the importance of nature through Neruda's 100 Sonnets. What are some concepts that nature symbolizes? Some concepts one may want to consider include the relationship between nature and Matilde, nature and love, nature and Neruda's childhood, etc.

2) Choose at least three concepts or objects discussed in Part 1, and analyze the relationships between those objects and nature. Provide an in-depth assessment of those images and concepts, using specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Neruda's poems are filled with images of the sea and rivers. What do the sea and rivers symbolize in his poetry? What role do they play? How do bodies of water affect Neruda and Matilde? Support any assertions with examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Many of Neruda's poems include examples of cycles or cyclical images. Examine the poet's inclusion of cycles in his poems and the importance of those cycles to the overarching themes contained in Neruda's 100 Sonnets. Use specific cycles that are found in the poems, and support all assertions with examples from the texts.

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