Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 5 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Which of the following describes the rhythm of the poem?
2. According to line 7, where are the chickens located relative to the wheelbarrow?
3. Who is the author of "The Red Wheelbarrow"?
4. What adjective is used to describe the chickens?
5. How many sentences does the poem contain?
Short Essay Questions
1. What is the most reasonable interpretation of this poem's setting, and why?
2. Describe the diction of this poem.
3. Describe the poem's form.
4. What is the surface meaning of this poem?
5. What are the images presented in this poem?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What is the significance of water in "The Red Wheelbarrow"? Do some research into the traditional meanings of water in literature and consider whether there is evidence in the poem that this is how Williams is using the rainwater. Consider the importance of the word "glazed" and the element of time that the water introduces into the poem. Write an essay that takes and defends a position on the meaning of the rainwater in "The Red Wheelbarrow." Support your argument with evidence drawn from the poem, and be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
Essay Topic 2
When Williams wrote this poem, he did not title it. It was merely given a number ("XXII") that indicated its position in the anthology. Some critics argue that giving it the title "The Red Wheelbarrow" undermines Williams's intentions. Write an essay that takes a position regarding how this title does or does not change the emphasis that Williams intended to create through the poem's rhythm, syntax, and linebreak. Support your arguments with evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.
Essay Topic 3
Read William Carlos Williams's poem "Between Walls." Write an essay that compares and contrasts the way Williams uses enjambment in this poem with the way he uses it in "The Red Wheelbarrow." Use both quoted and paraphrased evidence from both poems to support your claims, and be sure to cite your evidence in MLA format.
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