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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 XC, what does Neruda say is the only thing that matters "when death comes knocking?"

2. In Sonnet LV, what does Neruda NOT say attacks "the honied contentment" of love?

3. When Neruda returns to Matilde in Sonnet LXXX, where had he been?

4. In Sonnet LXXXIII, where is Matilde as she sleeps?

5. In Sonnet C, what do Neruda and Matilde share that Neruda calls "victorious?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Neruda write are the effects of modern society's infatuation with flying in Sonnet XCVII?

2. In Sonnet XCI, what overshadows the life that he gives to Matilde "like a swelling cluster of fruit?"

3. Where are Neruda and Matilde when they share a kiss in Sonnet C?

4. Why does Neruda urge Matilde to sleep in Sonnet LXXXIX?

5. What does Neruda ask of the "four-sided constellation" in Sonnet LXXXVI?

6. What effect does Matilde's absence have on Neruda in Sonnet LXV?

7. Why does Neruda feel sorry for the "poor unlucky poets" in Sonnet LIX?

8. in Sonnet LXIX, what does Neruda say is the possible definition of "nothingness?"

9. What are Neruda and Matilde looking for in Sonnet XCV, and what do they plan to do once they find it?

10. Who are the man and woman in Sonnet LXXIII, and what do they arm themselves against? Are they successful in fending off their enemy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the importance of Matilde and Neruda's childhoods throughout the 100 Sonnets. What does the author reveal to the reader about the childhood of each individual? What role does each individual's childhood have on them? What role does childhood play in their relationship with each other? Use quotes from the sonnets to back up all arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In many of Neruda's sonnets, particularly those near the end of the 100 Sonnets, Neruda deals extensively with the concept of death. How does the author view death? What are his wishes for himself if Matilde dies before he does? What are his wishes for Matilde should he die first? What does he believe will happen to the souls of the two lovers after their deaths? Use quotes from the sonnets to support any assertions.

Essay Topic 3

Neruda includes images of many opposites in his poems, including heat and cold, order and chaos, love and hate, and innumerable others. Very often, the author compares and contrasts those opposites before incorporating both opposites into one unified concept. Analyze at least three poems that contain opposites, and explain how the author reconciles opposite concepts to create one unified idea. Be sure to use specific examples from the sonnets.

(see the answer keys)

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