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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 the second stanza of the first elegy in Book 1, Chapter 7, "A ____ rolled toward you."

2. In one paragraph in the poem about faces, what has a woman fallen into?

3. The poems in Book 1, Chapter 7 are listed as being written during ____________.

4. In "To Holderlin," which of the following is referenced in the first stanza?

5. What is the longest poem in Book 1, Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the subject of the poem "Ariel."

2. What allusions does Rilke use in his poems, especially in the poem "Ariel"?

3. Describe the elegy about angels.

4. Describe Orpheus as Rilke describes him in his sonnets.

5. What is "The Bird Feeders" about?

6. What is the difference between a poem and prose?

7. What is "Faces" about?

8. Describe "To Music."

9. What is the message behind "For the Sake of a Single Poem"?

10. What types of fears does Rilke speak to in "Fears"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of rhyme scheme in a poem? What effect does translation have on rhyming in this book of poems? What is your opinion of the rhyming pattern of the poems?

Essay Topic 2

What themes and symbols seem to be significant in each of Rilke's poems? How do they set the tone for the poems?

Essay Topic 3

What is the difference between poem and prose? How does Rilke use both? Which is a better technique for Rilke, in your opinion, and why?

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