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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. What did Morrison claim to be able to do in "What are you doing here?"

2. What was the first poem that Morrison wrote?

3. What did the monarch, in "I am a guide to the Labyrinth", sink into?

4. Why did Morrison say that poetry appealed to him?

5. What did Morrison describe the movement of his hands to in "Can you dig it"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Morrison state happened to the savages in the poem "Ode to LA"?

2. Why did Morrison state that poetry meant so much to him?

3. What were the different ways that Morrison referred to Jones in "Ode to LA"?

4. In the poem beginning "A man rakes leaves into", what happened as the smell of burning leaves filled the air?

5. Why were the notebooks that Morrison kept in high school important?

6. What did Morrison state was the aim of his poetry?

7. How did Morrison, in "Ode to LA", state that Jones "went out"?

8. In the poem that began "Why does my mind circle around you", what did Morrison say was wrong with the dog?

9. What was happening on the beach in the poem that began "A vast and radiant beach& a cool"?

10. What did Morrison say about the elimination of "space fillers" in an interview?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Morrison, many time, brings into the poetry references to drugs and alcohol. Discuss at least three different references and the impact that the reference had on Morrison and his life. Where did Morrison bring up drugs/alcohol? How did this reference speak to the theme of the poem? Why was this reference important to what Morrison wanted to say? Was the reference positive or negative? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Morrison used many references to natural imagery. Discuss in detail three different natural images and their usage in the poem. What did the imagery represent? What message was Morrison trying to convey? How did the imagery represent what Morrison was saying? Did the imagery work? Why/Why not?

Essay Topic 3

Morrison claimed that "real poetry doesn't say anything". Do you agree with his statement after reading his book? Why/Why not? Is Morrison's poetry "real"?

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