1 Who or what is Cerberus? Son of the witch Sycorax in Shakespeare’s The Tempest The brightest star in the night sky The first son of Adam and Eve The multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld 2 What is an “aguey tendon”? Anguished tendency Feverish muscle Blood-red muscle Broken sinew 3 What does it mean that the smelled of a snuffed candle is “indelible”? It is distasteful and unappetizing It is recognizable and long-lasting It is delightful and appetizing It is indistinct and hard to recognize 4 What does the “smoke” which rolls from the speaker “like Isadora’s scarves” signify? An embrace Death Rebirth Fear 5 In regards to the “Hothouse baby” in the seventh stanza, what is one way of interpreting the word “hothouse” here? Incubated Red-cheeked Resuscitated Raised in a brothel 6 How might we interpret the “you” in the line “Your body / Hurts me as the world hurts God”? As signifying her own body, whose illness betrayed her As signifying Cerberus, who is incapable of cleansing her of sin As signifying her husband, whose sexual infidelity betrayed their marriage As signifying the devil, who is putting her through hellish suffering 7 Why is it significant that she can be “a huge camellia” “all by [herself]”? Because camellias signify the union or commitment between two people Because “huge” camellias are usually the “male” flowers Because camellias are difficult to grow and require much nourishment Because camellias always grow in pairs on the same stem 8 What is acetylene, as in the line “I / Am a pure acetylene / Virgin”? A drug used to treat mild to moderate pain and aches A salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base A psychedelic that causes hallucinations C2H2, a colorless and flammable gas unstable in its pure form 9 What are cherubim? Demons featured in the 1940 film Fantasia Small red stone fruits Supernatural creatures in early Islamic mythology Winged angels which attend on God, often depicted as chubby winged children 10 How many of the poems included in Plath’s posthumously published book Ariel were written, like this one, in the month of October 1962? 41 26 12 7 11 What is one way that Plath defies the usual definition of a “confessional” poet? The frequent engagement with historic and political metaphor in her poetry The fact that she was a young woman The vivid fictive imagination of many of her poems The frequent reference to an ambiguous “you” 12 Which of the following images in the poem subtly imply the physical fragility of the feverish speaker? "I / Am a pure acetylene / Virgin / Attended by roses” All of the answers “I am a lantern— / My head a moon / Of Japanese paper” “Water, water make me retch” 13 Which meaning(s) of “flush” is or are operative in the line “Glowing and coming and going, flush on flush”? All of the answers Tinged red; blushing A transitory sensation of extreme heat Sudden and abundant growth 14 Which of the following lines portray a volatile, unstable constitution of the self? "(My selves dissolving, old whore petticoats)" "I / Am a pure acetylene / Virgin" All of the answers "All by myself I am a huge camellia / Glowing and coming and going" 15 Which of the following pairs of lines marks the biggest transition in the poem? “The sin. The sin. / Darling, all night” All of the answers “flush on flush. / I think I am going up,” “Water, water make me retch. / I am too pure for you or anyone.” 16 Which of the following seem to be prerequisites for “rising” in this poem? Suffering Emptiness All of the answers Purity 17 Which of the following is NOT a tone this poem takes? Condemnatory Resigned Amazed Frightened 18 Which spiritual tradition was Sylvia Plath immersed in reading about, though not an adherent of, in her later years of life? Hinduism Catholicism Daoism Protestantism 19 In which context of Sylvia Plath’s life was this poem written? Sick, recently separated, a single parent to two children in London Sick, on her honeymoon in Ireland Sick, recently separated and returned to live with friends in Boston Healthy, living alone in an attic room in London 20 When and where was this poem first published? In a reprint of Ariel in the 1990s when a number of lost poems were discovered In 1962 in the magazine Poetry, weeks before her death In 1963 in the magazine Poetry, months after her death In 1965 in Ariel, years after her death 21 Which feeling is most frequently associated with sexuality in this poem? Desire Nostalgia Hatred Betrayal 22 Which pink flower doesn't appear in this poem? Roses Tulips Orchids Camellias 23 Which color isn’t overtly named in the poem, but remains the most prominent in its visual landscape? Yellow Red Pink White 24 Which mythological tradition isn’t referenced in this poem? Greek mythology None of the answers Hindu mythology Christian mythology 25 Which of the following is the best example of alliteration? Love, love, the low smokes roll I have been flickering, off, on, off, on My head a moon / Of Japanese paper Attended by roses, / By kisses, by cherubim