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Quiz about An American Literature Syllabus

An American Literature Syllabus Quiz

While writing the syllabus for my American Lit summer school class, I realized that all of these works would make an interesting Quizzyland quiz! Most information comes from "Literature and the Language Arts: The American Tradition." Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by MALibrarian. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
MALibrarian

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
263,304

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2909

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 209 (6/10), Guest 50 (9/10), Guest 160 (0/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which poet of early America was the first resident of the New World to have a volume of his/her poems published? Hint

Phillis Wheatley

Edward Taylor

Jonathan Edwards

Anne Bradstreet

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Question 2 of 10

2. Phillis Wheatley was a famous poet from the Revolutionary period. What was she famous for? Hint

Being the first black female poet in America

Teaching George Washington how to write poetry

Inventing a new form a verse

Writing "One if by land and two if by sea..."

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Which author's works concerned the nature of sin and evil, as well as the harshness of the Puritans? Hint

Edgar Allan Poe

Washington Irving

Herman Melville

Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of the following is NOT a work by Edgar Allan Poe? Hint

"The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym"

"The Raven"

"I Never Saw a Moor"

"The Pit and the Pendulum"

5. From what famous poem do the following lines come?

"Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!" Hint

"O Captain! My Captain!"

"The Story of an Hour"

"The Village Blacksmith"

"The Chambered Nautilus"

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Question 6 of 10

6. During which war in American history is "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" set? Hint

The American Revolution

The Spanish-American War

The Mexican War

The Civil War

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Question 7 of 10

7. In addition to great poetry and short stories, American Literature is filled with wonderful novels, illustrating the American character and development since the earliest beginnings of our country. Which of the following is NOT a classic American novel? Hint

The Complete Stalky and Co.

The Scarlet Letter

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Great Gatsby

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which American poet is known for his unique use of capitalization (or lack thereof)? Hint

Robert Frost

Wallace Stevens

e. e. cummings

Ezra Pound

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Question 9 of 10

9. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is a short story from "Winner Take Nothing," a 1933 collection by which famous American author? Hint

Katherine Anne Porter

Ernest Hemingway

Willa Cather

Jack London

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Question 10 of 10

10. Amanda Wingfield, Laura Wingfield, Tom Wingfield, and Jim O'Connor are all characters in a very famous American play. What is the name of the play, and who was the playwright? Hint

"J.B." by Archibald MacLeish

"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller

"The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams

"Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 19 2024 : Guest 209: 6/10
Dec 15 2024 : Guest 50: 9/10
Dec 12 2024 : Guest 160: 0/10
Dec 02 2024 : miners: 8/10
Dec 01 2024 : Guest 71: 9/10
Nov 27 2024 : Guest 73: 10/10
Nov 06 2024 : Guest 174: 1/10
Oct 28 2024 : Guest 101: 8/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which poet of early America was the first resident of the New World to have a volume of his/her poems published?

Answer: Anne Bradstreet

Anne's brother-in-law had her poems published without her knowledge in 1650. Her excellent writing gives us a glimpse into life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and includes such works as "To My Dear and Loving Husband" and "Upon the Burning of Our House".

2. Phillis Wheatley was a famous poet from the Revolutionary period. What was she famous for?

Answer: Being the first black female poet in America

Phillis Wheatley was captured and enslaved as a child in West Africa. Her owners, the Wheatleys, educated her and soon discovered they had a child prodigy in their household. As an adult, Phillis was set free by the Wheatleys, and later, she met General George Washington after writing a poem in praise of him and the American Revolution.

3. Which author's works concerned the nature of sin and evil, as well as the harshness of the Puritans?

Answer: Nathaniel Hawthorne

One of Hawthorne's most famous works, "The Scarlet Letter," concerns such issues as adultery, temptation, and guilt. His short story, "Rappaccini's Daughter," also focuses on the Puritan obsession with evil.

4. Which of the following is NOT a work by Edgar Allan Poe?

Answer: "I Never Saw a Moor"

Known for perfecting the art of the short story, Poe also wrote a great deal of poetry and the novel, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym". "I Never Saw a Moor" is a poem by Emily Dickinson.

5. From what famous poem do the following lines come? "Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last, Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!"

Answer: "The Chambered Nautilus"

This beautiful poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes is one of my favorites! It is possible that Holmes was inspired to write it after reading "Compensation," an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

6. During which war in American history is "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" set?

Answer: The Civil War

This short story by Ambrose Bierce concerns a man, Peyton Farquhar, and his tragic experience at Owl Creek Bridge. Bierce's nickname was "Bitter Bierce" because of his cynical, unhappy nature and his satirical wit.

Answer: The Complete Stalky and Co.

"The Complete Stalky and Co." is a collection of related short stories by Rudyard Kipling, based loosely on his experiences at a military boarding school in England. If someone asked me which American novel they should read above all others, I would recommend "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain.

8. Which American poet is known for his unique use of capitalization (or lack thereof)?

Answer: e. e. cummings

Edward Estlin Cummings was a noted poet of 20th century America who experimented a great deal with the use of lowercase and capitalization in his writing. His widow has stated, however, that despite rumors, he did not have his name legally changed to "e.e. cummings" (information from wikipedia.org).

9. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is a short story from "Winner Take Nothing," a 1933 collection by which famous American author?

Answer: Ernest Hemingway

According to the "Literature and the Language Arts" textbook, this story "unfolds primarily through dialogue, written with Hemingway's characteristic spare prose." Hemingway is also famous for his novels, including "A Farewell to Arms," "The Sun Also Rises," and "For Whom the Bell Tolls".

10. Amanda Wingfield, Laura Wingfield, Tom Wingfield, and Jim O'Connor are all characters in a very famous American play. What is the name of the play, and who was the playwright?

Answer: "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams

Other famous plays by Williams include "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and "The Night of the Iguana." According to wikipedia.org, the character of Laura Wingfield may have been inspired by Williams' sister, Rose, who suffered from schizophrenia.

Source: Author MALibrarian

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