Before you begin, a note on citing poetry references in MLA style. Direct quotations should be followed by a parenthetical citation that displays the relevant line number(s): for example, “moonless night rim world” (Lowther 2). Short quotations of three lines or less should be enmeshed in your prose and line breaks should be recorded with a slash: for example, “moonless night rim world, / A long-dead city” (Lowther 2-3). No need to provide a list of works cited for the poems at the end of your test paper, if you are using the digital reading package for this course. However, if you consult any secondary sources you must fully reference each and every one.
1. “Vancity’ (2 marks)
a. What is the speaker’s situation? Integrate some quoted evidence in your answer.
b. How does Lowther use metaphor skilfully in this poem?
2. “take a st. and” (2 marks)
a. Why is the speaker in this poem care what’s happening to the water under a street corner in Vancouver?
b. How does the poet arrange text on the page to reflect a central theme in the poem?
3. “What Jack Shadbolt said” (2 marks)
a. Why are Jack Shadbolt’s words important to the speaker in this poem?
b. How does the poet (Carolan) organize the stanzas and line breaks to guide the reader through the poem?
4. “happy birthday dear house” (2 marks)
a. Which sounds and images in this poem most vividly evoke the speaker’s childhood?
b. How do you interpret the lines, “in the land/of the second chance” (lines 20-21)?
5. “Quayside” (2 marks)
a. Identify a central theme in this poem and comment on how the poet (Lau) explores it. Include a few short direct quotes in your answer.
b. Why are the lines “—and then I saw that for years/you have existed all around me” (12-13) especially significant in this poem?
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PoetryTest.docx
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