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 emotion do we carry through life?

2. To what does Ginsberg compare the natural item?

3. How does Ginsberg feel about the use of a particular weapon by government?

4. In the poem, the room in which Ginsberg lies is:

5. What does Ginsberg dream about?

Short Essay Questions

1. Aside from housing personal baggage, what does Ginsberg believe is the purpose of the racks?

2. What is the burden one must carry? How should one react to this burden?

3. Where does Ginsberg work in this poem? What is his position? What are people waiting for?

4. What is the poet's feeling about physical passion and the enjoyment of it?

5. How does the theme affect each person? Where does it appear?

6. How should one behave in the giving and receiving of love? Where does this habit originate?

7. What is one of the main themes in this poem? To what does Ginsberg compare the flower?

8. What is the point of the poem? What is the poet's conclusion?

9. What childhood memory of politics does Ginsberg recall? How do those memories affect the present?

10. What is at least one of Ginsberg's comments about the racks and baggage?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare communism, socialism and capitalism. Use examples of each to illustrate points including pros and cons as well as political and social ramifications. In your opinion which is best? Explain. Using Ginsberg's poetry as a starting point, what do you believe the poet's opinion was of each? Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

In BACK OF THE REAL Ginsberg mentions Jesus and the crown of thorns. Why did Ginsberg choose this particular symbol? Give examples off types of symbolism used in this poem. How does Ginsberg use the crown of thorns as a metaphor? What does the metaphor represents Are there other flowers are plants that might have worked better than the crown of thorns? Does the juxtaposition used help or hinder the poem? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Write a biography on famed poet William Carlos Williams. Include his youth, education, personal and professional lives. Also include Williams' professional and personal relationships with Allen Ginsberg as well as other Beat Generation poets Gregory Corso, Jack Kerouac, and Michael McClure. Also discuss how Williams affected the New York literary scene.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 690 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample