Which poet is associated with the sestinas 'Forage Sestina' and 'Towards Autumn'?

• A. Sylvia Plath
• B. Marilyn Hacker
• C. Carl Sandburg
• D. Marianne Moore

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is recognizing a poet who is known for using the sestina form in contemporary poetry. Marilyn Hacker is the poet linked to these two works, “Forage Sestina” and “Towards Autumn.” She’s recognized for reviving and adapting the traditional six-end-word sestina for modern subjects, blending formal constraint with a contemporary voice. In these pieces, the rigid pattern of end-words frames personal reflection and imagery of nature, memory, and change, showing how the classic form can carry current themes. The other poets listed are known for different approaches: Sylvia Plath for confessional poetry in freer forms, Marianne Moore for precise, idiosyncratic diction and different formal experiments, and Carl Sandburg for accessible, often free verse. So Marilyn Hacker is the best match for these two sestinas.