John Donne Poetry Collection:
1. What does the speaker compare himself and his lover to when they must part?
2. How does the speaker advise his lover of their actions after they part?
3. Why should Death not be proud in "Holy Sonnet 10"? (2 reasons)
4. Overall what is the main message the speaker is trying to convey in each poem?
5. How would you describe the relationship between the speaker and his lover in "A Valediction..."?
6. In "Holy Sonnet 10" what does the speaker want Death to do? How do you know this?
7. What is metaphysical poetry? How are each of Donne's poems an example of this?
8. What is a paradox? What paradox exists in "A Valediction..."? Explain your answer.
9. What is irony? What is ironic in "Holy Sonnet 10"? Explain your answer.
"From Gulliver's Travels"
10. Who visits Gulliver at the beginning of the selection? Why, what news does he bring?
11. Describe the Lilliputians.
12. What is the major issue between the Tramecksans and the Slamecksans in the Lilliputian empire? Why?
13. How many threats do the Lilliputians face? What are they?
14. Why does the emperor want Gulliver to see him? Why does he need Gulliver's help?
15. What do Lilliput and Blefuscu represent in Gulliver's real world where he is from originally? How is the relationship between these two empires a true reflection of the time period?
16. Describe the Slamescksan party that governs Lilliput? What is their attitude toward others? How do you know this?
17. Gulliver and Reldresal have a conversation about Gulliver's world. What does Reldresal ultimately say about this?
18. What is a satire? What is Gulliver's Travels satirizing about the real world issues Swift is experiencing?
"To His Coy Mistress"
19. What does the term "coy" mean? What does the speaker mean when he describes his love in this way?
20. What are some of the things the speaker would do if he had more time?
21. Why is the speaker unable to do these things?
22. Summarize the full argument the speaker makes to his love.
23. What else, besides being coy, does the speaker imply about his mistress? Use specific lines to support your answer.
24. What is the speaker's attitude toward death? How do you know this?
25. What is carpe diem? How does this apply to the poem?
26. What does the speaker propose that he and his mistress do to battle mortality? Why?
27. What reference does the speaker make to the Bible? to Mythology?
28. What passages demonstrate "exaggerated language"? Show your answer.
29. What does the speaker think the afterlife will be like? Show your answer.
Herrick / Gay Poetry Collection:
30. What are the themes of each poem?
31. What is "warmer" making "That age...best which is the first" in "To the Virgins..."?
32. In the same poem what does the setting sun represent?
33. In "Youth's the Season..." what does the decaying flower represent?
34. In the same poem what is the speaker's view of age?
35. What implications are made about "youth" in both poems?
36. How does the theme of "carpe diem" relate to each poem?
"Araby"
37. What is Araby? Where is the story set?
38. Describe the boy and girl presented in the story.
39. Describe the details about the boy's home.
40. Describe the relationship between the boy and his aunt and his uncle.
41. What is the result of the conversation between the boy and girl in the story?
42. What is an epiphany? What is the epiphany the boy has near the end of the story?
43. What actually does happen when the boy finally reaches Araby?
44. What is so unusually about the conversation between the boy and girl? How long have they known each other?
45. What portions of the short story prove the naïve innocence of the boy in the beginning?
46. What sections demonstrate the loss of innocence of the boy by the end of the story?
47. From what point of view if this story told? Who tells it? What lines first indicate this from the story?