AnswersELA 11B-CRChoosing Language for Context and Purpose

Beat Poetry Answers

14 verified answers2 views
1
Free Preview

Read this phrase from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."The trees add shade to shade.What is the meaning of this phrase?

A
The narrator is contrasting the images of the market to nature.
B
The narrator is praising the loveliness of his cottage yard.
C
The narrator is remarking that trees make the night darker.
D
The narrator is wondering how he will find his way home.
2
Free Preview

Read this stanza from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.Which statement best describes the scene in the first stanza of Ginsberg’s poem?

A
The speaker is hastily making his way to the local supermarket to meet up with an old friend.
B
The speaker is busy gazing at the full moon when he bumps into a former acquaintance.
C
The speaker is taking a lonely stroll at night while reflecting on the words of a favorite poet.
D
The speaker is eager to return to the safety of his home and read poems by Walt Whitman.
3

In the poem "A Supermarket in California," Ginsberg most likely uses free verse to show

A
the role that jazz music played in the Beat movement.
B
the influence that Walt Whitman had in his life.
C
his rebellious attitude toward uniformity in American culture.
D
his desire to be part of mainstream society.
4

Read this excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight?(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.)Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely. Why does Ginsberg most likely make an allusion to Walt Whitman in this excerpt?

A
to support Ginsberg and Whitman’s close friendship
B
to show Ginsberg’s esteem for Whitman and his work
C
to hint at Ginsberg’s embarrassment at his own behavior
D
to share Ginsberg’s desire to live during Whitman’s lifetime
5

Read this excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing” from Leaves of Grass.I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands.Whitman most likely uses this structure for his poem to

A
present a poem with a natural, conversational rhythm.
B
show his talent for using traditional rhyme scheme.
C
share a narrative poem using the storytelling structure.
D
reflect a lyrical style using stressed and unstressed syllables.
6

Read this stanza from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.Why does the author most likely use free verse for this stanza?

A
The long-line structure serves as an introduction to the narrative.
B
The long-line structure provides background for the allusion.
C
The long-line structure imitates stream-of-conscious thought.
D
The long-line structure allows for predictable rhyme schemes.
7

Read this excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?Why does the author most likely use free verse for this excerpt?

A
The structure imitates casual conversation.
B
The structure reflects narrative storytelling.
C
The structure mirrors classic poetic principles.
D
The structure suggests an epic tale of morality.
8

Read this excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier. In this excerpt, the speaker of the poem and his imaginary companion are

A
sampling items but not paying for them.
B
stealing frozen goods from the grocery store.
C
loading up their shopping cart with frozen food.
D
marveling at the exotic offerings available at the market.
9

Read this stanza from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?What is happening in this stanza?

A
The speaker is imagining the questions Whitman would ask if he were there.
B
The speaker is dreaming about what goods he will be purchasing.
C
The speaker is asking the grocery clerks about the freshness of the meat and the cost of the fruit.
D
The speaker is quizzing the butcher and produce workers to see if they are knowledgeable employees.
10

Read this excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing” from Leaves of Grass.The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundownThe delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs. Why does Whitman most likely choose this structure for his poem?

A
The lyrical structure reveals the creative sound devices.
B
The epic structure reveals a tale of human folly.
C
The free verse structure presents a conversational style.
D
The traditional structure relies on a familiar rhythm pattern.
11

Read this excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!What idea is expressed in this excerpt?

A
The narrator discovers parental neglect at the market.
B
The narrator notices the division of gender roles for shopping.
C
The narrator is frustrated by the crowds of people in the aisles.
D
The narrator is amazed by the market’s quantity of food and people.
12

Read this excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator. Why does Ginsberg make an allusion to Walt Whitman in this excerpt?

A
to suggest a knowledge of Walt Whitman and his poetic devices
B
to suggest an interest in Walt Whitman and his shopping habits
C
to suggest a critical judgement against Walt Whitman and other poets
D
to suggest a familiarity and kinship with Walt Whitman and other outcasts
13

Read this stanza from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier. Ginsberg most likely uses long-line free verse here to

A
draw attention to the poem’s patterns of rhyme and meter.
B
express his thoughts freely and without constraints.
C
keep the content of the poem simple and easy to imagine.
D
show his desire to return to an unassuming existence.
14

Read the last stanza from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe? At the end of his poem, Ginsberg uses these allusions to convey a feeling of

A
hopefulness that modern-day America can turn back the hands of time.
B
doom and gloom caused by the pressure of conforming with the middle-class American society.
C
sadness since the speaker will never experience the same America as in Whitman’s day.
D
pride and appreciation for his fellow poet’s role in American literary history.

Did you find these answers helpful?

More from this Course

Quiz
10 verified answers

Choosing Language for Context and Purpose

Quiz
10 verified answers

Writing Workshop: Argumentative Essay

Quiz
10 verified answers

Individualism, Modern Capitalism, and Dystopian Visions