American Literature CLEP Exam
Questions and Answers26
Metaphysical Poetry - ANSWERS-Uses conceits and uses intellectual and philosophical language.
Makes abstract comparisons using conceits. ie. John Donne.
Michael Wigglesworth - ANSWERS-Clergyman who wrote "Day of Doom" and "Meat out of the
Eater". He wrote lyrical, theological poems. Puritan.
Connotation - ANSWERS-the feelings or emotions surrounding a word. (ie. home = pleasant
haven)
motif - ANSWERS-Phase, image, action, that unifies a work of literature by recurring throughout
it. A theme or idea in a work of art or literature that is developed or repeated.
Theme - ANSWERS-central idea of a work of literature, general topic or subject.
Apostrophe - ANSWERS-A figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or
imaginary person, or some abstraction. Often used to address deep emotion.
Philip Freneau - ANSWERS-Transitional poet. Between Enlightenment and the Romantic age. "
"The Wild Honeysuckle". Published National Gazette that promoted anti-federalism. Considered
"the poet of the American Revolution."
picaresque - ANSWERS-novel about lower-class character who triumphs through wit instead of
hard work. Usually autobiographical and in the first person.
,J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur - ANSWERS-•French-born American who wrote "Letters from an
American Farmer". First successful American author. First to examine the idea of the "American
Dream" and attempted to explain what an "American" was.
Concepts by him that influenced America culture.
• American Adam - uniqueness of new people called "Americans".
•Melting Pot - America's uniqueness transcends ethnic, religious, cultural backgrounds.
Huswifery - ANSWERS-by Edward Taylor. "Make me, O Lord, thy Spinning Wheele compleat"
W.E.B. DuBois - ANSWERS-Opposite of B.T. Washington. Black should engage in higher
education. Challenges Washington's inability to see complete integration in America. Not only
work for freedom but demand rights and participation in office. Disagrees on how "liberation"
should be defined.
Alliteration - ANSWERS-Repetition of consonant sounds.
Stephen Crane - ANSWERS-A "realistic" writer. Wrote The Red Badge of Courage.
Irony: Henry's only wound comes from retreat, not battle.
-Humans are left on this world to fend for themselves without help from divine creator.
Heroic Couplet - ANSWERS-a couplet consisting of two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter (ie.
aa, bb, cc) and written in an elevated style. (tradition of the epic form)
imagery - ANSWERS-The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person,
thing, place, or experience.
, Edward Taylor - ANSWERS-Wrote Preparatory Meditations. God's Determinations touching His
Elect. His work not meant for publication. Uses conceits and unusual images. Inspired
metaphysical poets like Ezra Pound. T.S. Eliot.
Metonymy - ANSWERS-One word or phrase is substituted for another with which is closely
associated.
"crown → royalty",
"ring →marriage"
"heart→love"
Bluest Eye - ANSWERS-Pecola wants_____________ to be beautiful.
-She is considered a scapegoat because her ugliness has made the towns people beautiful, her
suffering made them feel lucky, her silence, their chatter.
By Toni Morrison.
Huck Finn escaped his father by - ANSWERS-faking his death.
End of book: different from classic American success myths. Instead of being free of moral
corruption into wilderness, it is being adopted into moral corruption away from wilderness.
Brook Farm - ANSWERS-A transcendentalist Utopian experiment, put into practice by
transcendentalist former Unitarian minister George Ripley. Emerson declined to live there.
Hawthorne was there, but wrote a satire about it in "Blithedale Romance".
Margaret Fuller joined.
Olaudah Equiano - ANSWERS-wrote The first slave narrative. "Interesting Narrative of the life of
_____________". Powerful abolitionist voice against inhumanity. He bought his freedom and
traveled and taught.
Questions and Answers26
Metaphysical Poetry - ANSWERS-Uses conceits and uses intellectual and philosophical language.
Makes abstract comparisons using conceits. ie. John Donne.
Michael Wigglesworth - ANSWERS-Clergyman who wrote "Day of Doom" and "Meat out of the
Eater". He wrote lyrical, theological poems. Puritan.
Connotation - ANSWERS-the feelings or emotions surrounding a word. (ie. home = pleasant
haven)
motif - ANSWERS-Phase, image, action, that unifies a work of literature by recurring throughout
it. A theme or idea in a work of art or literature that is developed or repeated.
Theme - ANSWERS-central idea of a work of literature, general topic or subject.
Apostrophe - ANSWERS-A figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or
imaginary person, or some abstraction. Often used to address deep emotion.
Philip Freneau - ANSWERS-Transitional poet. Between Enlightenment and the Romantic age. "
"The Wild Honeysuckle". Published National Gazette that promoted anti-federalism. Considered
"the poet of the American Revolution."
picaresque - ANSWERS-novel about lower-class character who triumphs through wit instead of
hard work. Usually autobiographical and in the first person.
,J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur - ANSWERS-•French-born American who wrote "Letters from an
American Farmer". First successful American author. First to examine the idea of the "American
Dream" and attempted to explain what an "American" was.
Concepts by him that influenced America culture.
• American Adam - uniqueness of new people called "Americans".
•Melting Pot - America's uniqueness transcends ethnic, religious, cultural backgrounds.
Huswifery - ANSWERS-by Edward Taylor. "Make me, O Lord, thy Spinning Wheele compleat"
W.E.B. DuBois - ANSWERS-Opposite of B.T. Washington. Black should engage in higher
education. Challenges Washington's inability to see complete integration in America. Not only
work for freedom but demand rights and participation in office. Disagrees on how "liberation"
should be defined.
Alliteration - ANSWERS-Repetition of consonant sounds.
Stephen Crane - ANSWERS-A "realistic" writer. Wrote The Red Badge of Courage.
Irony: Henry's only wound comes from retreat, not battle.
-Humans are left on this world to fend for themselves without help from divine creator.
Heroic Couplet - ANSWERS-a couplet consisting of two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter (ie.
aa, bb, cc) and written in an elevated style. (tradition of the epic form)
imagery - ANSWERS-The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person,
thing, place, or experience.
, Edward Taylor - ANSWERS-Wrote Preparatory Meditations. God's Determinations touching His
Elect. His work not meant for publication. Uses conceits and unusual images. Inspired
metaphysical poets like Ezra Pound. T.S. Eliot.
Metonymy - ANSWERS-One word or phrase is substituted for another with which is closely
associated.
"crown → royalty",
"ring →marriage"
"heart→love"
Bluest Eye - ANSWERS-Pecola wants_____________ to be beautiful.
-She is considered a scapegoat because her ugliness has made the towns people beautiful, her
suffering made them feel lucky, her silence, their chatter.
By Toni Morrison.
Huck Finn escaped his father by - ANSWERS-faking his death.
End of book: different from classic American success myths. Instead of being free of moral
corruption into wilderness, it is being adopted into moral corruption away from wilderness.
Brook Farm - ANSWERS-A transcendentalist Utopian experiment, put into practice by
transcendentalist former Unitarian minister George Ripley. Emerson declined to live there.
Hawthorne was there, but wrote a satire about it in "Blithedale Romance".
Margaret Fuller joined.
Olaudah Equiano - ANSWERS-wrote The first slave narrative. "Interesting Narrative of the life of
_____________". Powerful abolitionist voice against inhumanity. He bought his freedom and
traveled and taught.
