rcises for American Literature (I) - Chapter 1.doc

Exercises for American Literature (I) - Chapter 1Chapter 1 The Romantic PeriodA. Each of the statements below is followed by four alternative answers. Choose the one that would best complete the statement and put the letter in the bracket.1. The Romantic Period of American literature started with the publication of Washington Irvings _ and ended with Whitmans Leaves of Grass.A. The Sketch Book B. Tales of a TravelerC. The Alhambra D. A History of New York2. Washington Irvings social conservation and literary preference for the past is revealed, to some extent, in his famous story, _.A. The Legend of Sleepy HallowB. Rip Van WinkleC. The Custom-HouseD. The Birthmark3. The chief spokesman of New England Transcendentalism is _.A. Nathaniel Hawthorne B. Ralph Waldo EmersonC. Henry David Thoreau D. Washington Irving4. In his essays, _put forward his philosophy of the over-soul, the importance of the Individual and Nature. A. Nathaniel Hawthorne B. Washington IrvingC. Mark Twain D. Ralph Waldo Emerson5._literary world turns out to be a most disturbed, tormented and problematical one, which has much to do with his black vision of life and human beings. A. Herman Melvilles B. Washington IrvingsC. Nathaniel Hawthornes D. Walt Whitmans6. Most of the poems in_sing of the en-masse and the self as well.A. Leaves of Grass B. Drum TapsC. North of Boston D. The Cantos7. In _, Whitman airs his sorrow at President Lincolns death.A. Cavalry Crossing a FordB. A PactC. When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard BloomdD. There was a Child Went Forth8. In _, Whitmans own early experience may well be identified with the childhood of a young growing America. A. A Pact B. Song of MyselfC. There was a Child Went ForthD. Cavalry Crossing a Ford9. The poem _reminds its readers of a picture of a scene of the American Civil War.A. Song of MyselfB. When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard BloomdC. A PactD. Cavalry Crossing a Ford10. _is regarded as the first American prose epic.A. Nature B. The Scarlet LetterC. Walden D. Moby-Dick11. _, the tragic hero of Moby-Dick, burning with a baleful fire, becomes evil himself in his thirst to destroy evil. A. Ahab B. PipC. Moby Dick D. Pequod12. In_, Hawthorne sets out to prove that everyone possesses some evil secret.A. The Custom-House B. Young Goodman BrownC. Rappaccinis Daughter D. The BirthmarkB. Complete each of the following statements with a proper word or a phrase according to the textbook.1. In his early works, Herman Melville is more enthusiastic about setting out on a quest for the meaning of the _universe, rules_, while in the late works, Melville becomes more reconciled with the world of man, in which he admits, one must live by.2. In Song of Myself Whitman sets forth two principal beliefs: the theory of _universality, _ and the belief in the _singularity_ and equality of all beings in value.3. Usually, the relationship Whitman is dramatizing is a triangular one: I the poet, the subject in the poem, and you the _reader_.4. In the manner of its concern with _guilt _ and _evil_, Young Goodman Brown exemplifies what Melville called the power of blackness in Hawthornes works.5. Imbued with an inquiring imagination, an intensely meditative mind, and unceasing interest in the _interior_of the heart of mans being, Nathaniel Hawthorne remains one of the most interesting, yet most ambivalent writer in the American literary history.6. New England Transcendentalism is unanimously agreed to be the _ summit_of the Romantic period in the history of American literature.7. Rip Van Winkle is not only well-known for Rips 20-year _sleep but also considered a _ model_ of perfect English in American literature and in the English language as well.8. Washington Irving has always been regarded as a writer who perfected the best _classic style_that American literature ever produced.”9. Being a period of the great flowering of American literature, the Romantic period is also called the American_ Renaissance_.”10. Washington Irving is one of the first American writers to earn an _international_reputation, and regarded as an early Romantic writer in the American literary history and _Father_of the American short stories.11. By employing _nature_as a big symbol of the Spirit, or God, or the over-soul, Emerson has brought the Puritan legacy of symbolism to its perfection.12. Hawthornes view of man and human history originates, to a great extent, in _Puritanism_.13. Whitmans poetic style is marked, first of all, by the use of the poetic _ I_.”14. New England Transcendentalism is actually a philosophical school which absorbed some ideological concerns of American _Puritanism_and European_Romanticism_.C. Decide whether the following statements are true or false and write your answers in the brackets.T1. Leaves of Grass established Walt Whitman as the most popular American poet of the 19th century.F2. Washington Irving got ideas from Spanish legends for two of his famous stories Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”F3. The poem Song of Myself got this title from the first edition.T4. Besides Hawthorne, Shakespearean tragic vision and Emersonian Transcendentalism also produced some positive effect on Herman Melvilles writing.T5. The purpose of Herman Melvilles fictional tales is to penetrate as deeply as possible into the metaphysical, theological, moral, psychological, and social truths of human existence.T6. Moby-Dick is a mixture of fantasy and realism based upon the South Pacific Whaling industry.T7. Puritanism and Calvinistic doctrine have great effects on Hawthornes writing.F8. American Romanticists, such as Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Melville, have a lot in common in their understanding of human nature. T9. According to Emerson, man is divine in nature and therefore forever perfectible. T10. Washington Irving remained a conservative and always exalted a disappearing past. F11. Walt Whitman is granted the honor of being the American Goldsmith for his literary craftsmanship. F12. Emersonian Transcendentalism inspired a whole generation of famous authors like Whitman, Dickinson and Mark Twain. F13. As a Puritan, Hawthorne embraced the Puritanical doctrines and expresses them in his novels. F14. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne intends to tell a love story and a story of sin.T15. Hawthorne is a master of symbolism, which he took from the Puritan tradition and bequeathed to American literature in a revivified form.F16. Walt Whitman follows only one theme in his Leaves of Grass, that is, the burgeoning life in cities.T17. In Drum Taps, Whitrnan expresses much mourning for the sufferings of the young lives in the battlefield and shows a determination to carry on the fighting dauntlessly until the final victory. F18. Most of the poems in Leaves of Grass are written in heroic couplet. D. Name the author of each of the following literary works.1. The Sketch Book Washington Irving2. Rip Van Winkle Washington Irving3. The American Scholar Ralph Waldo Emerson4. The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne 5. The Marble Faun Nathaniel Hawthorne 6. Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne 7. Song of Myself Walt Whitman 8. There was a Child Went Forth Walt Whitman 9. Cavalry Crossing a Ford Walt Whitman 10. Moby-Dick Herman MelvilleE. Define the literary terms listed below.1. New England Transcendentalism:2. Free verseF.A) For each of the quotations listed below please give the name of the author and the title of the literary work from which it is taken and then briefly interpret it.1. The early lilacs became part of this child, And grass and white and red morning-glories, and white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-bird, And the Third-month lambs and the sows pink-faint litter, and the mares foal and the cows calf, And the noisy brood of the barnyard or by the mire of the pond-side,And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below there, and the beautiful curious liquid, And the water-plants with their graceful flat heads, all became part of him. 2. A lime in long array where they wind betwixt green islands, They take a serpentine course, their arms flash in the sun hark to the musical clank,Behold the silvery river, in it the splashing horsesloitering stop to drink,Behold the brown-faced men, each group, each person, a picture , the negligent rest on the saddles,Some emerge on the opposite bank, others are just entering the fordwhile,Scarlet and blue and snowy white,The guidon flags flutter gayly in the wind.3. I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume,For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. B) Read the quoted parts carefully and answer the questions in English.1. It was with some difficulty he found the way to his own house, which he approached with silent awe, expecting every moment to hear the shrill voice of Dame Van Winkle. He found the house gone to decay the roof fallen in, the windows shattered, and the doors off the hinges. A half starved dog, that looked like Wolf, was skulking about it. Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut indeed My very dog, sighed poor Rip, has forgotten me! A. Identify the author and the title of the work from which this passage is taken.B. Whom does Dame Van Winkle refer to?C. Why was it difficult for him to find his house?2. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. His intercourse with heaven and earth, becomes part of his daily food. In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. A. Identify the author and the title of the work from which this passage is taken.B. How do you interpret daily food?C. What does the passage imply?3. Poor little Faith thought he, for his heart smote him. What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand She talks of dreams, too. Methought, as she spoke, there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done tonight. But, no, no! t would kill her to think it. Well; shes a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, Ill cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven. A. Identify the author and the title of the work from which this passage is taken.B. Who is Faith?C. How do you interpret the speakers feeling?4. The harpoon was darted; the stricken whale flew forward; with igniting velocity the line ran through the grooves; ran foul. Ahab stooped to clear it; he did clear it; but the flying turn caught him round the neck, and voicelessly as Turkish mutes bowstring their victim, he was shot out of the boat, ere the crew knew he was gone. A. Identify the author and the title of the work from which this passage is taken.B. Who is Ahab?C. What happens to Ahab?G. Give brief answers to the following questions. 1. Briefly introduce Ralph Waldo Emersons Transcendental philosophy.2. Analyze the effects of Puritanism on Nathaniel Hawthorne.3. Analyze the symbolic significance of The Scarlet Letter.4. What does Nathaniel Hawthorne intend to tell the reader in his Young Goodman Brown?H. Short essay questions.1. Write an essay on Walt Whitman.2. Write an essay on Moby-Dick.Answers to Chapter 1A.l. A 2.B 3.B 4. D 5. C 6. A 7.C 8.C 9.D 10. D 11. A 12. BB.1. universe, rules2. universality, singularity3. reader4. guilt, evil5. interior6. summit7. sleep, model8. classic style9. Renaissance10 international, Father11. nature12. Puritanism13. I14. Puritanism, RomanticismC. l. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. T 7. T 8. F 9. T 10. T 11. F 12. F 13. F 14. F 15. T 16. F 17. T 18. FD.1. Washington Irving 2. Washington Irving 3. Ralph Waldo Emerson 4. Nathaniel Hawthorne 5. Nathaniel Hawthorne 6. 7. Walt Whitman 8. Walt Whitman 9. Walt Whitman 10. Herman MelvilleE.1. New England TranscendentalismIt is the summit of the Romantic Movement in the history of American literature. It was started in New England in the 1830s. Gradually its influence began to spread all over the country. The most important representatives are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Basically, Transcendentalism has been defined philosophically as the recognition in man of the capacity of knowing truth intuitively, or of attaining knowledge transcending the reach of the sense.” Transcendentalists place emphasis on the importance of the Over-soul, the individual and Nature. The concepts that accompanied Transcendentalism include the idea that nature in ennobling and the idea that the individual is divine and therefore, self-reliant. New England Transcendentalism is the product of a combination of native American Puritanism and European Romanticism.2. Free verse means poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. A looser and more open-ended syntactical structure is frequently favored. Lines and sentences of different lengths are left lying side by side just as things are, undisturbed and separate. There are few compound sentences to draw objects and experience into a system of hierarchy.F.A)1. From Walt Whitmans “There Was a Child Went Forth.”This poem describes the growth of a child who learns about himself and improves himself accordingly. In the poem Whitmans own early experience may well be identified with the childhood of a young, growing America. The chosen part here is a description of the barnyard where there are many newly-born stocks, etc. The child is still a baby now who is wandering and admiring the scene around him, which to him is something entirely new.2. From Walt Whitmans Cavalry Crossing a Ford.” It describes a picture of a scene of the American Civil War. A troop is crossing a shallow river on horseback, their flag fluttering, the water shining in the sun, the soldiers faces brown.3. From Walt Whitmans Song of Myself.” Here the poet is trying to identify his ego with the world, and more specifically with democratic en-masse of America.B)1. A. From Washington Irvings “Rip Van Winkle.”B. Dame Van Winkle is Rip Van Winkles wife.C. Because during Rips 20-year sleep, a lot of things have taken place and everything, including his family, the village and his dog, has changed greatly.2. A. From Ralph Waldo Emersons Nature.B. Daily food is maybe interpreted to be the most indispensable part of the life of the lover of nature.C. It implies that a lover of nature should always feel himself united with nature, inseparable from nature.3. A. From Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown.”B. Faith is Goodman Browns wife.C. He feels guilty of his evil deed and is determined to return to his wife after it, never leaving her again.4. A. From Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick.B. Ahab is the captain, who has been handicapped by the whale, and determined to kill it.C. Ahab is killed during his fight with the whale.G.1. As the chief spokesman of New England Transcendentalism, Emerson puts forward his philosophy of the over-soul, the importance of the Individual, and Nature. He bases his religion on an intuitive belief in an ultimate unity, which he calls the over-soul.” Emerson believes that there should be an e-motional communication between an individual soul and the universal over-soul, since the over-soul is an all-pervading power from which all things come from and of which all are a part. Emersons remarkable image of a transparent eyeball marks a paradoxical state of being, in which one is merged into nature, the over-soul, while at the same time retaining a unique perception of the experience. Emerson is affirmative about mans intuitive knowledge, with which a man can trust himself to decide what is right and to act accordingly. The ideal individual should be a self-reliant man. Emersons nature is emblematic of the spiritual world, alive with Gods overwhelming presence; hence, it exercises a healthy and restorative influence on human mind.2. Hawthornes view of man and human history derives, to a great extent, from Puritanism. He was not a Puritan himself, but his Puritan ancestors had done the misdeeds. He believes that the wrong doing of one generation lives into the successive ones, and he was said to be often troubled by the sins of his ancestors. This intense awareness leads to his understanding of evil being at the very core of human life, which is typical of the Calvinistic doctrine that human beings are basically depraved and corrupted, hence, they should obey God to atone for their sins. In many of Hawthornes stories and novels, the Puritan past is shown in an almost totally negative light, especially in his The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet letter. Hawthorne is att