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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. Of what fruit does Rilke write of in "The Poet Praises"?

2. What does Rilke write about in conjunction with love and sex in Part VI of "The Seven Phallic Poems"?

3. Who is one of the earliest figures of feminism who was friends with Rilke?

4. The poem "Gong" makes use of what literary technique?

5. In one of the untitled love poems, Rilke writes, "What fields are fragrant as your ______?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What sexual elements are undertaken in The Seven Phallic Poems?

2. How does death intermingle with sex in The Seven Phallic Poems? How does childhood?

3. What reference does Rilke use to the god Hermes in The Seven Phallic Poems?

4. What references to Venus does Rilke make in the untitled poems of "Poems of Other Difficulties"?

5. What happens when one gives oneself completely over to love, according to the poet?

6. In the fourth and fifth of The Seven Phallic Poems, what imagery does the poet use for climax?

7. What does Mood say in regard to Rilke's vision of Eros in the Prologue?

8. How does Mood describe Rilke's masculinity and femininity in his poetry? What does he say of Rilke's own life in this regard?

9. What are the subjects discussed in the "Woman's Lament" poems?

10. How does Rilke regard the difficulty of sex in his opening letters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Mood's analysis of Rilke's epitaph. How does Mood dissect the poem into pieces, looking at each segment as it interlocks with the next? How does he view the translating of the words?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Rilke's relationship to Christianity. How does the poet view Christianity and its stance on sexuality? In what other ways does Rilke speak of religion?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Rilke in terms of Expressionism and Existentialism. How does Rilke fit into these movements, when and where did they arise, and what in his works reflect these styles?

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