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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. What animal is mentioned in the poem "Age"?

2. What phrase is italicized in the poem "Next, Please"?

3. In the poem "Skin," what does the narrator call his skin?

4. In the poem "If Grief Could Burn Out," to what does the narrator compare grief?

5. In "The Moon Is Full Tonight," what is gone from earth?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the poem "Waiting for Breakfast," what is the female character doing? What does the narrator do to her, and how does he feel about this?

2. In the poem "Within the Dream," of what does the narrator dream? What is his reaction to this dream?

3. In "Homage to a Government," why are the soldiers coming home? What does the narrator say they can hope to leave them?

4. In the poem "Talking in Bed," how does the narrator feel about talking in bed? What does he say is hard to do?

5. What is the narrator talking to in the poem "I Put My Mouth"? What is the poem about?

6. In "Story," where did the narrator move from his hometown? What happened as he grew older?

7. In "This Be the Verse," what does the narrator say "man hands on to man"? What does the narrator say in the last line?

8. How many parts comprise the poem "The North Ship"? Where is the third ship going?

9. In the poem "To Write One Song," what does the narrator want to do? Where does he have to go in order to do this?

10. What is the poem "Water" about? What does he say about water?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Memories play an important role in Larkin's poetry. Write an essay on the theme of memories in the collection "The Less Deceived." Make sure you use at least two poems in your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Like dance, song plays a key role in many of Larkin's poems. Write an essay on Larkin's use of song in the collection "The Whitsun Weddings."

Essay Topic 3

Ships are a common element that Larkin uses in his poetry. Write an essay on the symbolism of the ship in Larkin's collection "The Less Deceived."

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