10
QuizMultiple Choice

Beat Poetry — Quiz

Question 10 • Literature and Composition III

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?

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