I. for Each of the Following, Choose the Best Answer

American Romanticism—1800 – 1860

I. For each of the following, choose the best answer.

_____

1. Which of the following is not a trait of the American Romantic Hero?

A. Youthful

B. Innocent

C. Lonely

D. Intuitive

E. All of the above

_____ 2. Which of the following is a main trait of the Romantic period?

A. Imaginative

B. Intuitive

C. People are basically good

D. Nature focused

E. All of the above

_____ 3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of the American Romantic style?

A. Flowery

B. Emotional

C. Exotic Locations

D. Negative

E. None of the above

_____ 4. What are the dates of the American Romanticism movement?

A. 1800 – 1840

B. 1800 – 1900

C. 1840 – 1860

D. 1800 – 1860

E. None of the above

_____ 5. American Romantic writers rejected rationalism because they believed that

A. Logical thought was not possible

B. Scientific thinking had not yet been well developed

C. Scientific reasoning discouraged intuition and spontaneity

D. The rationalist tradition had produced no worthwhile writers

E. None of the above

_____ 6. The journey in American Romantic literature can best be summarized as

A. Leaving civilization and entering the world of nature

B. Escaping duty in order to do what one pleases

C. Rejecting traditional poetry and inventing new forms

D. Abandoning all intellectual pursuits for a frontier life

E. All of the above

_____7. American Romantic writers believed that poetry was

A. A good form for describing momentous historical events

B. An art that had been ignored by European writers

C. An effective way to bring about social change

D. The greatest witness to the power of imagination

E. None of the above

_____8.. The typical American Romantic hero was

A. Interested in the future and in the growth of industry

B. Deeply intuitive and ruled by superior principles

C. Determined to conquer and subdue the natural world

D. Sophisticated and knowledgeable about worldly matters

E. None of the above

II. Matching works to quotes

A. “Rip Van Winkle” AB. “Old Ironsides”

B. “Thanatopsis” AC. “The Fall of the House of Usher”

C. “The Ropewalk” BC. “The Raven”

D. “Snow Bound”

E. “The Chambered Nautilus”

_____ 9. . “And give her to the god of storms,/The lightning and the gale!”

_____ 10. “Two fair maidens in a swing,/Like white doves upon the wing,/First before my vision pass;/Laughing, as their gentle hands/Closely clasp the twisted strands,/At their shadow on the grass.”

_____ 11. “I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow. An air of …gloom hung over and pervaded all.”

_____ 12. “I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject of the king— God bless him.”

_____ 13. “Meanwhile we did our nightly chores,--/Brought in the wood from out of doors,/Littered the stalls….”

_____ 14. “Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;/And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost….”

_____ 15. “And Ethelred uplifted his mace, and struck upon the head of the dragon… with a shriek so horrid and harsh…”

III. Multiple Choice—choose the BEST answer.

“Rip Van Winkle”

_____ 16. The most momentous historical event that takes place during Rip’s long sleep

A. is the death of his wife

B. is the secession of New York

C. Is Hendrick Hudson’s arrival

D. The American Revolution

_____ 17. Rip Van Winkle is characteristic of the American Romantic hero in that he

A. discovers great truths through intuition

B. finds solace and comfort in the wilderness

C. has profound insights into the limits of science

D. meets supernatural beings in the forest

_____ 18. Rip Van Winkle finds all of the following changed in his hometown EXCEPT

A. His wife

B. His gun

C. His dog

D. His humor

_____ 19. What distinguishes this piece from the Puritan/Colonial literature?

A. It’s love of nature

B. It’s love of religion

C. It’s love of politics

D. It’s hatred for change

Fireside Poets:

Thanatopsis/ Ropewalk/Cross of Snow/ Snowbound/Chambered Nautilus/Old Ironsides

20. In “Thanatopsis,” nature urges the poet to find comfort in the

a. fact that he is young and death is far off

b. knowledge that death joins us with all others

c. promise of resurrection after death

d. idea that he will be famous after he dies

21. Which statement best summarizes the cycle described in “Thanatopsis”?

b. The dead are replaced by the living, who in turn die.

c. The natural world is constantly changing.

d. We move from cheerfulness to sorrow and back again.

e. Nature speaks to us gently, then harshly.

22. “Thanatopsis” strongly suggests that human beings are

a. the highest form of living things

b. doomed to live in dread of death

c. an ongoing part of the earth itself

d. incapable of improving their lives

23. Which facet of “Thanatopsis” makes it a good example of Romantic poetry?

a. The natural environment has provoked deep emotions and insights in the speaker.

b. The poem is written in unrhymed lines and focuses on the supernatural.

c. The poet is absorbed in thoughts of dying.

d. The poet applies logic and rational thinking to human concerns about life and death.

24. To which senses do these lines of imagery from “The Ropewalk” appeal?

At the end, an open door;

Squares of sunshine on the floor Light the long and dusky lane;

And the whirring of a wheel, Dull and drowsy . . .

a. touch and hearing

b. smell and touch

c. hearing and sight

d. sight and touch

25. What is unexpected or surprising about the image of the cross f snow in the Longfellow’s poem?

a. unlike real snow, it becomes dirty

b. it exists only in the speaker’s mind

c. it refers to a sense of religious conviction

d. unlike real snow, it persists through time

26. Most of the imagery in Snow-Bound contrasts

a. the bitterness of winter with the softness of spring

b. a winter scene outdoors with a home scene indoors

c. relying on oneself with cooperating with others

d. the virtues of farming with the dangers of the city

27. A major reason for the popularity of Snow-Bound, both in its day and in the present, is its

a. vivid portrait of a Romantic hero

b. autobiographical sketch of a famous man

c. picture of people from different backgrounds living in harmony

d. description of people challenged by natural forces

28. The children described in the poem react to the storm with

a. wonder and excitement

b. anxiety and tension

c. bored nonchalance

d. anger and resentment

29. The speaker mentions an intense isolation. What makes this isolation a positive experience?

a. The speaker has learned a great deal about himself during the storm.

b. The emergency has helped the family to settle old quarrels.

c. A storm-battered visitor has arrived to entertain the family.

d. The snowbound family has risen to the challenge with merriment and enterprise.

30. In “The Chambered Nautilus,” the speaker implies that if he hadn’t meditated on the nautilus, his life might have ended up being like

a. a series of endless corridors leading nowhere

b. a person who drowns in the sea

c. the noise from an ancient sea god’s horn

d. the ever-changing and restless sea

31. The speaker finds the chambered nautilus remarkable because it is

a. a rare shell seldom found on beaches

b. broken and abandoned by its tenant

c. evidence of how a living thing develops

d. able to move through the water like a boat

32. In “The Chambered Nautilus,” what does the speaker seem to wish for himself?

a. an opportunity to live his life over again

b. a carefree life by the seashore

c. a fame that will endure long after his death

d. a spirit that eventually will break free

33. In “The Chambered Nautilus,” the poet develops an extended metaphor comparing

the empty shell to

a. the lack of meaning in his own life

b. a body that once housed a soul

c. a new building that will soon be occupied

d. an estate that has been recently robbed

34. In “Old Ironsides,” the metaphor of harpies plucking at an eagle refers to

a. land birds attacking seabirds

b. scavengers destroying something noble

c. a story from Norse mythology

d. the defeat of the British in 1812

35. In “Old Ironsides,” the words she and her help to develop the metaphor comparing

the ship to

a. a valiant human being who has served gallantly in a war

b. an old woman who has outlived her children

c. a human being who has traveled throughout the world

d. a mermaid who wants to return to the sea

36. The speaker in “Old Ironsides” wants to save the ship because it

a. represents past glory

b. is valuable as an educational tool

c. still functions as a seagoing vessel

d. is beautiful and well crafted

“The Fall of the House of Usher”

37. The narrator’s first impression of the House of Usher is of a building that

A. promises the exciting adventure he longs for

B. somehow stands in spite of obvious decay

C. brings back bitter memories of his youth

D. reminds him of pleasant times at school

39.. Roderick Usher seems to e suffering mainly from

A. a nervous disorder that affects his sensory reactions

B. an inability to handle his household responsibilities

C. poverty, resulting from poor business management

D. guilt over the bad feelings between him and Madeline

40. Madeline’s eventual fate is foreshadowed by

A. her dislike of intrusions by visitors

B. a disease which engenders deathlike trances

C. a letter she has sent to the narrator

D. a nightmare that reveals where she will eventually be buried

41. Which of the following statements best describes what eventually happens to the narrator?

A. He grows in his awareness of the problems of aristocratic families

B. He heroically resolves to rescue Roderick from his fate

C. He is finally able to distinguish between reality and fantasy

D. He becomes enmeshed in the gloom of his surroundings

42. On a fateful night, in his bedroom, the narrator is strangely affect by “…the bewildering influence of the gloomy furniture of the room—of the dark and tattered draperies, which, tortured into motion by the breath of a rising tempest, swayed fitfully to and fro upon the walls, and rustled uneasily about the decorations of the bed.” This passage is mainly intended to…

A. describe the effects of wind through an open window

B. show the narrator’s dislike of uncomfortable surroundings

C. convey and atmosphere of unusual and ominous activity

D. indicate that a malign intruder is in the room

“The Raven”

43. The speaker can best be described as a

A. lonely elderly man longing for visitors

B. magician conjuring up evil spirits

C. melancholy person trying to forget a tragedy

D. poet seeking inspiration for a new work

44. At first encounter, the raven seems to be

A. a frightening figment of the speaker’s imagination

B. a ghostly incarnation of a dead woman

C. a symbol of darkness and death

D. an entertaining and ungainly creature

45. What final hope is destroyed by the Raven’s word, “Nevermore!”

A. Lenore has decided to marry the narrator

B. He will see Lenore that night because he will die

C. A ship is coming to the harbor to bring Lenore home

D. The raven and Lenore’s memory will eventually leave

46. What effect does the raven’s repetition “Nevermore” have on the speaker?

A. It plunges him into a deep despair.

B. It helps him recall fond memories of Lenore.

C. It reminds him that he can find the courage to go on.

D. It does not distract him from his studies.

47. In which lines below are the underlined words an example of alliteration?

A. “Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!”

B. “Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning…”

C. “What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore—“

D. On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—“

The Scarlet Letter:

48. What gesture does Reverend Dimmesdale make throughout the book?

(a): He rubs his brow

(b): He pulls at his shirtsleeves

(d): He raises his eyes to heaven

49. Chillingworth pretends to be of what profession?

(a): a lawyer

(b): a doctor

©: a clergyman

(d): an infantryman

50. The prison door best represents which of the following:

(a): Puritanical severity of law and the authority of the regime

(b): a dirty, rusted old door separating Hester from her daughter

(d): the strength of Hester’s determination to live with her crime

51. The rosebush outside the prison door is a symbol of all of the following except:

(a): Ann Hutchinson’s tolerance of other religions

(b): Hester’s passion

(d): Puritanical punishment for moral crimes

52. Hester has embroidered what symbol onto her dress?

(a): A bird for freedom

(b): A rose blossom

(d): A round pearl

53. What is the first thing that Pearl sees as a baby?

(a): the inside of a prison cell

(b): the scarlet letter on Hester’s chest

©: Hester

(d): the rosebush

54. How does Hester earn a living?

(a): by selling wood in Boston

(b): by growing crops

(d): by healing other people

55. Mistress Hibbins, the sister of Governor Bellingham, is reputed to be:

(a): a witch

(b): a good mother

(d): a Puritan

56. To whom does Hawthorne apply the term “The Leech”?

(a): Dimmesdale

(b): Hester

©: Pearl

(d): Chillingworth

57. How does Chillingworth figure out who Pearl’s father really is?

(a): Dimmesdale tells him

(b): Chillingworth becomes Dimmesdale’s doctor and guesses the secret

(d): He never finds out

58. What is Hester’s response when she learns that the Puritan council might allow her to remove her scarlet letter?

(a): she is very happy

(b): she is furious

(d): she immediately takes the letter off and goes into town without it

59. Hester tries to convince Dimmesdale to do what during their walks in the woods?

(a): to run away and live elsewhere

(b): to get rid of Chillingworth

(d): to adopt Pearl

60. What does Pearl do when she first sees her mother without the scarlet letter?

(a): She is excited for her mother

(b): She convulses and screams

(d): She runs to hug her mother

61. Who destroys Dimmesdale and Hester’s plans to run away from Boston?

(a): Pearl

(b): Bellingham

(d): Chillingworth

62. In the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale believes that ______ is visible on his chest, over his heart.

(a): a scarlet letter A

(b): a rose blossom

(d): nothing

63. What does Pearl do right before Dimmesdale dies?

(a): She takes his hand and gives it to Hester

(b): She kisses Dimmesdale