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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. Neal Cassady's moniker in "Visions of Cody" was Cody ______________.

2. What is the title of the first book Jack Kerouac published?

3. What is Allen Ginsberg's most famous work?

4. In what year did Gregory Corso meet Allen Ginsberg?

5. How old was Neal Cassady when his parents divorced?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the theme of the poem "Kaddish"?

2. Describe Kerouac's depiction of the jazz band in the excerpt from "On the Road." To whom are they compared ?

3. How do Cassady and Kerouac differ on their perspective of Cassady's childhood?

4. Who is Lawrence Ferlinghetti? What is his role in the Beat movement? What is his poem "Dog" about?

5. Who is Kenneth Rexroth? What is his contribution in the anthology?

6. What is Ginsberg's subject in "A Supermarket in America"?

7. What does Kerouac's letter to Neal Cassady reveal about their friendship?

8. What political references are made in the poem "America"?

9. What repetition is used in the "Peyote Poem"? Why?

10. Describe William S. Burroughs' style in "Naked Lunch."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the works of Carl Solomon and Gregory Corso from the text. How do these poets differ in style, theme, and subject? How are they alike?

Essay Topic 2

What is the New York School of Poetry? When did it originate? Who were the key members? How does it relate to the Beat Generation?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the author Kenneth Rexroth. For what works was Rexroth known? What examples are in the anthology? What is the poet's impact on the Beat Generation?

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