美国文学课后习题

1、Unit2EdgarAllanPoe1) Who is the narrator? What wrong does he want to redress? It is Montresor. Fortunato has given Montresor thousands of injuries that he has to bear before he has this opportunity of taking revenge.2) What is the pretext Montresor uses to lure Fortunado to hiswine cellar?He claims

2、that he has just got a cask of Amontilado and stores it in the wine cellar before he mayfind a connoisseur to testify to its authenticity.3) What happens to Fortunado in the end?The deceived Fortunado is killed because of his inability of getting out of the catacomb.4) Describe briefly how Poe chara

3、cterizes Mortresor and Fortunado as contrasts.Poe characterizes Mortresor and Fortunado as seemingly contrasting characters chiefly by presenting their identical habit in wine and their different manners towards each other, but actually he intends to show some similarly defective aspects in their na

4、ture. The similarity in their nature is also suggested by their names as synonyms in Italian: Mortresor means “fortune ” while Fortunado “treasure ”. Theirdefective nature is highlighted when the revenger Mortresor, who is fully prepared on psychological and operating levels, throws the hardly prepa

5、red but totally deceived wrong-doer Fortunado into the deep and damp catacomb and blocks up its entrance with huge rocks.Unit 7 19 th Century American Poets1. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I Shot an Arrow 1. Why did the speaker lose sight of his arrow and song?The arrow flies too swiftly and too far aw

6、ay to be seen by thespeaker; whereas the song is naturally invisible.2. In what circumstances did he find them again?He finds them unexpectedly years later from the trunk of a tree and the heart of a friend.3. What do arrow and song stand for in this poem?The images of arrow and song here may stand

7、for friendship.(2) A Psalm of Life1. What kind of person is the speaker of this poem?The speaker is a manof action, always optimistic and cheerful, trying to achieve as muchas possible in the short span of life.2. According to the poem, how should our lives be led to overcome the fact that each day

8、brings us nearer to death?We should work harder and live happier.3. Interpret the metaphor of "Footprints on the sand of time"(line 28).The metaphor refers to human deeds in real life.2. Walt Whitman(1) One's Self I Sing1. What is the significance of singing about one's self?It is

9、an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typical of American people.2. What is the difference between physiology and physiognomy?Physiology is a science that deals with the functions and life process of human beings, whereas physiognomy refers to an art of judging character from contours of

10、face itself or the appearance of a person.3. What does Whitman mean by the term of "the Modern Man"?He meansthat a manshould be free from any prejudice and pride, totally different from the traditional one, that is full of bias.(3) O Captain! My Captain!1. Why is the word "Captain&quo

11、t; capitalized throughout the poem?In this poem the word“Captain ” specially refers to AbrahamLincoln, president of the United States.2. What overall metaphor does the poet employ in this poem? Life is a journey.3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sad?Th

12、ey welcome the ship returning from its hard trip, whereas the speaker is sad because the captain fails to receive his own honor.3. Emily Dickinson To Make a Prairie 1. What things are needed to "make" a prairie? In what sense can one really do it?Some grass and insects and small animals. P

13、eople can make a prairie with their imagination.2. How can "revery alone" create a prairie?The prairie stays in one's mind.(2) Success Is Counted Sweetest1. Why is success "counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed"?Those who have tasted the bitterness of failure would

14、have a keener desire for success.2. Who are "the purple host"?The so-called successful people in the world.3. Who is "he" in the last stanza?Anyone who is pursuing his success.(3) I'm Nobody!1. Who are the "pair of us" and "they" in this poem?The "pai

15、r of us" refers to the speaker in the poemand the reader, and "they" refers to the public, especially those in power.2. What does "an admiring bog" really mean?" (line 28).It Implies the vain and empty common people, who are always admiring and pursuing the celebrities.

16、3. What is the theme of this poem?The real admirable life is a secluded and common one.4. Do you want to be "nobody" or "somebody"? Explain your reasons.Different persons would have different answers to this question. Personally, I prefer to be nobody.Unit 17 20 th -Century Ameri

17、can Poets1. Ezra PoundIn A Station of the Metro1. Why does the poet call the faces of pedestrians "apparition"?These pedestrians are all walking in a hurry amidst the drizzling rain.2. What do "petals" and "bough" stand for?Petals refer to the faces while the bough stan

18、ds for the floating crowd.2. Wallace StevensAnecdote of the Jar1. What does the jar in poem symbolize? Why does the speaker place it on top of a hill?The jar here symbolizes a certain perspective on looking at this world. If the perspective of the viewing is creative and unique, it will change the c

19、onventional order of the old world. When a new perspective comes out, it will certainly hold attention from the rest.2. The jar is "round" and "of a port in air," meaning that it has a stately importance. What effect does it have on surroundings when placed on the ground?Maybe th

20、e round jar assumes the air of a domineering figure, which helps to form a certain order out of the disordered surrounding.3. How did the wilderness of Tennessee characterized? What words or phrases does the poet use to describe it?Tennessee seems to a place full of life and energy. “Slovenly, ” “sp

21、rawl ” and “ wild ” are some of the words used to describe the place. (SeeAnecdote of the Jar )3. William Carlos WilliamsWilliam Carlos Williams1. How does the first two lines differ from the other pairs of lines?Each of the last three couplets creates a visual image (“a red wheelbarrow, ” “glazed w

22、ith rainwater, ” and “the white chickens ”), whereas the first one does not.2. What is the most visually compelling word in each of the last three pairs of lines?They are “red, glazed and white ”. (See EXPLANATION“: The Red Wheelbarrow” below)3. What is the meaning of "depends upon" in the

23、 first pair of lines?The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the poem. Since the poem is composed of one sentence broken up at various intervals, it is truthful to say that 'so much depends upon' each line of the poem. This is so because the form of the poem is also its meaning. This

24、may seem confusing, but by the end of the poem the image of the wheelbarrow is seen as the actual poem, as in a painting when one sees an image of an apple, the apple represents an actual object in reality, but since it is part of a painting the apple also becomes the actual piece of art. These line

25、s are also important because they introduce the idea that 'so muchdepends upon' the wheelbarrow.SEE answer 1.4. Robert Frost(1) Fire and Ice1. What are the symbolic meanings of fire in this poem?Fire symbolizes natural disaster, human passion, as well as war.2. Why does the speaker say that

26、ice is also great for destruction? Explain what ice stands for here.Ice, oppose to fire, is also a dreadful natural disaster in this world, and ice is always related to indifference, coldness, hatred, and the other negative sentiments of human beings.3. What is your opinion about fire and ice? Which

27、 one is more destructive?Both fire and ice can destroy this beautifulworld if they arebeyond control of human beings. Therefore we should be open-minded and reduce our prejudice and pride so as to keep this world in peace.(2) Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening1. In your opinion, what was the reaso

28、n that made the speaker stop by the woods on a snowy evening?The poet was deeply attracted by the natural beauty of the scene at that very moment.2. Why did the horse give the harness bell a shake?The horse grew impatient by stopping in the middle of the dark, cold woods at midnight. It was eager to

29、 go home.3. Why couldn't the speaker stay longer by the woods to appreciate its mysterious beauty?He realized that it was late at night and he would have to hurry home to get some food and sleep, because the next morning he would have a lot of work to do.4. What is the effect of repetition in th

30、e last two lines?The refrain-like repetition in the last two lines reminds the reader a simple fact of life: whatever happens, one must go forward in the journey of his or her life.(3) The Road Not Taken1. What is the speaker's initial response to the divergence of the two roads?The speaker is a

31、t a loss which road he should choose, and he feels sorry that he cannot explore both roads at the sametime.2. Describe the similarities and differences of these two roads. Which one does the speaker take?Two roads are similar except one of them is more “grassy, ” which implies that it is less traveled by people.