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. Book 1, Chapter 7 is dedicated to _________.

2. In Rilke's poem, what type of activity is feeding birds?

3. In "The Bird Feeders," the poet emphasizes the value of __________.

4. According to Rilke's suggestion, which of the following should be used to remember Orpheus?

5. What type of fears are addressed in the poem "Fears"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do you think that only some poems have titles?

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

3. How does Rilke give in to tradition while writing, as exemplified in his elegies?

4. What does Rilke mean by "Every angel is terrifying"?

5. Which elegy is the most emotional and why?

6. What is "The Bird Feeders" about?

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

8. Who does the invisible 'you' reference in the first poem in "Sonnets to Orpheus"?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the panther, gazelle, and swan poems to each other. What are the differences in message, literary devices, and rhyming techniques? Why are these devices important to the poems? What do they say about Rilke?

Essay Topic 2

What is the message of "For the Sake of a Single Poem"? What literary devices are used in the poem, and what effect do they have?

Essay Topic 3

How would you describe Rilke's poetic skills? Are there other poets or authors you would compare him to? Why or why not? Is there a poet or author that he is extremely different from?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 679 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample