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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. Besides the Gettysburg address, what other address has the author heard, according to "Autobiography"?

2. The author writes in "Autobiography," "I once started out / to walk around the world / but ended up in ______."

3. In "I Am Waiting" the poet writes he is waiting to write the great ____ poem.

4. In "Autobiography," where was the poet when Rome was built?

5. Where will "we" be puking in, "wailing for a winter coat," in "Junkman's Obbligato"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the street described in "The Long Street"?

2. Who is described in "Meet Miss Subways"?

3. What events take place in "Christ Climbed Down"?

4. What is the underlying meaning of the poem "I Am Waiting"?

5. What are the major points of "Autobiography"?

6. Describe the train in "Meet Miss Subways." How is this tied to its theme?

7. Describe the pop culture and literary references the author makes in "Autobiography."

8. What is the overall theme of the poem "Junkman's Obbligato"? What allusions point to this?

9. What is the poem "Autobiography" about?

10. What does the poet suggest in "Junkman's Obbligato"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Poem 6 of "A Coney Island of the Mind." How does the author describe the statue of St. Francis? What is the significance of the birds in this poem? What are the major themes?

Essay Topic 2

What are the predominant, overriding themes in Chapter Three of the collection. What artistic and literary allusions are used in the poetry of this chapter? How does the artist feel about the references he makes?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of "materialism" in the poem "Christ Climbed Down." What is the author's point of view in this poem? What imagery is used to support this?

(see the answer keys)

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