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. In what year were the letters written that inspired "Walking in Paris"?

2. "With Mercy For the Greedy" makes a statement about art as what?

3. What point of view is "The House" written in?

4. Part I of the author's first book of poetry deals with the trauma of what?

5. What is the first poem in Live or Die?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the poems in Live or Die reflect Sexton's mental and emotional health?

2. What is the significance of "For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further"?

3. How does the collection Love Poems fit in with Sexton's other work?

4. What are the two major themes dealt with in Live or Die, and how are they dealt with?

5. What is the significance of ending Part 1 of To Bedlam and Part Way Back with the poem "A Story For Rose On the Midnight Flight To Boston"?

6. Give at least one example of Sexton's use of humor in Love Poems.

7. What is the crossroads Sexton finds herself at in "The Fortress"?

8. How does Sexton use her poetry as a form of therapy in Live or Die?

9. What is the significance of the title Live or Die?

10. What is the focus of Part 2 of To Bedlam and Part Way Back?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role did family play in Anne Sexton's life and work?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Sexton's relationships with Sylvia Plath and John Holmes.

Essay Topic 3

Explain how Sexton weaves her personal and poetic lives together. Explain how they are set against each other.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 883 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample