What does Shotwell's obsession with jacks reveal about him?
Shotwell’s obsession with jacks shows his deteriorating mental state.
100
What is the conflict in this story?
A daughter struggles to find a connection with her Mami because she is too focused on her inventions.
100
What years cover the postmodern/contemporary era?
1939-present.
100
What is the main conflict in the poem "Coastal" by Mark Doty.
The narrator struggles with respecting a young girl who has a passion to help a wounded bird but by the end they realize the beauty in the act of kindness and admire the young girl for her noble act.
100
What does the fish in Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish" symbolize?
The fish symbolizes triumph over death and the constant strength one has to survive.
200
What does the narrator's use of repetition tell the reader?
It shows that the narrator’s instability is constantly increasing.
200
What inspires the narrator to write her speech?
The poetry of Walt Whitman, given to her by her father.
200
The Postmodern/Contemporary writers focused on what events? List at least 3.
The Cold War, the end of World War II, Vietnam War, Watergate.
200
What is the overall theme of "The Beautiful Changes" by Richard Wilbur?
Beauty changes, the images show the beauty that can result from change. For example, "the charm of a chameleon's changing skin" in line 8.
200
What can you infer about the couple in Gwendolyn Brooks' "The Bean Eaters"?
They don't have much money but they are resilient and have knowledge on what is truly important. They keep their memories close.
300
What is the most prominent theme in this story?
The dehumanization of individuals.
300
Why does the narrator’s father have such a strong reaction to the first speech?
He is stuck in his traditional views from the Dominican Republic and loses sight at the fact that in America it is acceptable to speak your mind.
300
What was different between postmodernist and modernist writers?
The post modern writers focused on more personal writings and were not afraid to push the envelope. They took what everyone was feeling and put it on paper. They allowed for multiple interpretations and never believed in just one.
300
What is the real subject of the poem "Mirror by Sylvia Plath?
The real subject is vanity or the way people use physical appearance to confirm who they are; how people can be self-critical.
300
The poem "Elsewhere" by Derek Walcott rises to its most direct statement of theme in the final stanza. What does it mean to "make a career of conscience"?
Everybody knows these oppressions are wrong but they are not doing anything about it.
400
What is ironic about the title “Game”?
The word game usually suggests fun, but the events in this story are serious and deadly.
400
What does the narrator consider as her mother’s final invention?
The second speech that they write together.
400
What is beat poetry/slam poetry? Where was it performed?
Poetry that praised individuality and spoke out against social injustice. It was performed in jazz cafes and late night coffee shops in the contemporary cities like NYC and San Francisco.
400
In the poem "Mushrooms" by Sylvia Plath, what image do the mass growth of mushrooms symbolize?
People who are power hungry and use their power to take over major situations in a negative way.
400
What does the rainbow at the end of Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish" symbolize?
The rainbow is the spectrum of life in nature for the fish and the beauty of the fisher's revelation to let the fish go.
500
What is the significance in the narrator’s suggestion that the mission might be an experiment?
Shotwell and the narrator may have been stuck in the bunker so long because of their inability to go through with any of the tasks at hand.
500
What is significant about the gift her father gives her at the end of story?
Instead of rejecting her talent, he is embracing it and encouraging it by giving her a source to create more written pieces.
500
What do contemporary poets truly believe about poetry?
Contemporary poets believe that poetry lives within the people and any walk of life, any experience, and any style of expression can result in authentic poetry.
500
Based on Claribel Alegria's "Ars Poetica", what is the purpose of poetry?
It is a vehicle for making discoveries and inspiring hope. It is freeing and allows one to travel and explore.
500
In "In Honor of David Anderson Brooks, My Father", what differences does the poet imagine between her father in life and her father in death?
In life, he suffered a fever in a cold room, in death he roams freely and is no longer in pain.