美国文学-选择题-诗歌分析题前4章

1、美国文学单选题诗歌分析题 American LiteratureChapter 1 The Romantic PeriodChoose the right answer:Of all the following issues,is definitely NOT the focus of the Romantic writers inthe Americanliterary history.A. Puritan morality B. Human bestiality C. Noble savages D. Divinity of manHenry David Thoreau swork, ,

2、has always been regarded as a masterpiece of the New England Transcendental Movement.A. Walden B. The Pioneers C. Nature D. Song of MyselfNothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind is a famous quote from s writings.A. Walt Whitman B. Henry David ThoreauC. Herman Melville D. Ralph W

3、aldo Emerson Leavesf Grass commands great attention because of its uniquely poetic embodiment of, which are written in the founding documents of both the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War.A. the democratic ideals B. the romantic ideals C. the self-reliance spirits D. the religious idealsA

4、ccording to Whitman, the genuine participation of a poet in a common cultural effort was to behave as a supreme.A. democrat B. individualist C. romanticist D. leaderThe period before the American Civil War is generally referred to as.A. The Naturalist Period B. The Modern Period C. The Romantic Peri

5、od D. The Realistic PeriodIn the following works, which sign the beginning of the American literature?A. The Sketch Book B. Leaves of Grass C. Leather Stocking Tales D. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn8.is the author of the work The Legend of Sleepy Hollow .A. Washington Irving B. James Joyce C. Walt

6、Whitman D. William Butler YeatsWashington Irving s Rip Van Winkle is famous for.A. Rip s escape into a mysterious B. The story s German legendary source materialC. Rip s seekg for happiness D. Rip ; s 20years sleepWhich of the following statement is not true about Washington Irving?Washington Irving

7、 is regarded as Father of the American short stories.Irving relationship with the Old World in terms of his literar y imagination can hardly be ignored considering his success both abroad and at home.Irving s taste was essentially progressive or radical.Washington Irving has always been regarded as

8、a writer who perfected the best classic style that American literature ever produced.The Publication of established Emerson as the most eloquent spokesman of New England Transcendentalism.A. Nature B. Self-Reliance C. The American Scholar D. The Over-SoulThe phrase a transparent eye- ball ;compares

9、philosophical mentation of Emerson s. It appears in.A. The American Scholar B. Nature C. The over Soul D. Essays: Second SeriesIn 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson made a speech entitled at Harvard, which was hailed by OliverWendell Holmeasas :Our Intellectual Declaration of Independence.A. Self-Reliance B.

10、 Divinity School Address C. The American Scholar D. Natureis the most ambivalent (有争议的)writers in the American literary history.A. Nathaniel Hawthorne B. Walt Whitman C. Ralph Waldo Emerson D. Mark TwainThere is evil in every human heart, which may remain latent, perhaps, through the whole life; but

11、 circumstances may rouse it to activity, which author of the following authors does the mention belong to.A. Washington Irving B. Ralph Waldo Emerson C. Nathaniel Hawthorne D. Walt WhitmanIn Hawthorne s novels and short stories, intellectuals usually appear as.A. saviors B. villains C. commentators

12、D. observersAll of the following are works by Nathaniel Hawthorne except.A. The House of the Seven Gables B. White Jacket C. The Marble Faun D. The Blithedale RomanceWalt Whitman is radically innovative in the form of his poetry. What he prefers for his new subject is.A. free verse B. blank verse C.

13、 lyric poem D. heroic coupletWhich of the following features cannot characterize poems by Walt Whitman?A. Lyrical and well-structured B. Free-flowing C. Simple and rather crude D. Conversational and casual The horizon edge, the flying sea-crow, the fragrance of salt marsh and shore mud. These became

14、 part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day. The two lines are taken from.A. There Was a Child Went Forth by Walt Whitman B. In a Station of the Metro by Ezra PoundC. Cavalry Crossing a Ford by Walt Whitman D. Ulysses by Joyce Answer: A (P454)Mo

15、by Dick is regarded as the first American.A. Prose epic B. Comic epic C. Dramatic fiction D. Poetic fiction Answer: A (P460)The giant Moby Dick may symbolize all EXCEPT.A. mystery of the universe B. sin of the whale C. power of the great Nature D. evil of the world Answer: B (P461)Which of the follo

16、wing comments on the writings by Herman Melville is not true?A. Bartleby, the Scrivener is a short story. B. Benito Cereno is a novella.C. The ConfidenceMan has something to do with the sea and sailors. D. Moby-Dick is regarded as thefirst American prose epic.Answer: C (P459460)The Transcendentalist

17、s believe that, first, nature is ennobling, and second, the individual is, therefore, self-reliant.A. insignificant B. vicious by nature C. divine D. forward-lookingIt is on his that Washingtn Irving?s fame mainly rested.A. childhood recollectionsB. sketches about his European toursC. early poetryD.

18、 tales about AmericaAs a philosophical and literary movement, the main issues involved in the debate of Transcendentalism are generally concerning.nature, man and the universethe relationship between man and womanthe development of Romanticism in American literaturethe cold, rigid rationalism of Uni

19、tarianismAbout the novelThe Scarlet Letter, which of the following statements is NOT right?It ?s very hard to say that it is a love story or a story of sin.Ita a highly symbolic story and the author is a master of symbolism.Ita mainly about the moral, emotional and psychological effects of the sin u

20、pon the main characters and the people in general.In it the letter A takes the same symbolic meaning throughout the novel15. In his poems, Walt Whitman is innovative in the terms of the form of his poetry, which is called.A. free verseB. blank verseC. alliterationD. end rhymingMore than five hundred

21、 poems Dickinson wrote are about nature, in which her general Skepticism about the relationship between is well-expressed.A. man and manB. men and womenC. man and natureD. men and GodWhich of the following is right about Emily Dickinson & poems about nature?In them, she expressed her general affirma

22、tion about the relationship between man and nature.Some of them showed her disbelief that there existed a mythical bond between man and nature.Her poems reflected her feeling that nature is restorative to human beings.Many of them showed her feeling of natures inscrutability and indifference to the

23、life and interests of human beings.As a great innovator in American literature, Walt Whitman wrote his poetry in an unconventional style which is now called free verse, that is.lyrical poetry with chanting refrainspoetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme schemepoetry without rhymes at the end of

24、 the lines but with a fixed beatpoetry in an irregular metric form and expressing noble feelingsWhich of the following statements can be said about the works of Scott Fitzgerald, a spokesman of the Roaring 20s?In Hawthorne?s novels and short stories, intellectuals usually appear a.A. commentatorsB.

25、observersC. villainsD. saviorsBesides sketches, tales and essays, Washington Irving also published a book on, which is also considered an important part of his creative writing.A. poetic theoryB. French artC. history of New YorkD. life of George WashingtonEmily Dickinson wrote many short poems on va

26、rious aspects of life. Which of the following is not a usual subject of her poetic expression?A. Religion.B. Life and death.C. Love and marriage.D. War and peaceIn 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson made a speech entitled at Harvard, which was hailed byOliver Wendell Holmes as Our intellectual Declaration of

27、 Independence.A. NatureB. Self-RelianceC. Divinity School AddressD. The American ScholarIn American literature the first important writer who earned an international fame on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean is.A. Washington IrvingB. Ralph Waldo EmersonC. Nathaniel Hawthorne D. Walt WhitmanThe Americ

28、an novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is known for his “black vision. TheTerm “ black vision refers to.Hawthornes observation that every man faces a black WallHawthornes belief that all men are by nature evilthat Hawthorne employed a dream vision to tell his storythat Puritans of Hawthornes time usually w

29、ore black clothesThough Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were romantic poets in theme and technique, they differ from each other in a variety of ways. For one thing, whereasWhitman likes to keep his eye on human Society at large, Dickinson often addressessuch issues as, immortality, religion, love a

30、nd nature.A. progressB. freedomC. beautyD. deathThe Romantic writers would focus on all the following issues EXCEPT thein the American literary history.A. individual feeling B. survival of the fittestC. strong imagination D. return to natureAmerican Romanticism stretches from the end of the century

31、through the outbreak ofA. 18th, the Civil WarB. 18th, the War of IndependenceC. 19th, WWID. 19th, WWII62.believes that the chief aim of literary creation is beauty, and“thewoman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.”A. Walt WhitmanB. Edgar Allen PoeC. Anne BradstreetD. Ralph Wald

32、o EmersonIn Emily Dickinson?s Because I Could Not Stop for Death.death is personified as a devildeath is described as the tragic end of a person?s lifedeath is a stage of life and it leads people to the Heaven of immortalitydeath is described as a beautiful girl who couldn?t find her final destinati

33、onWhich is generally regarded as the manifesto and the Bible of American Transcendentalism?A. Thoreau?s WaldenB. Emerson?s NatureC. Poe?s Poetic PrincipleD. Thoreau?s NatureHenry David Thoreau?s work, has always been regarded as a masterpiece of the New England Transcendental Movement.A. WaldenB. Th

34、e PioneersC. NatureD. Song of Myself, Leaves of Grass? commands great attention because of its uniquely poetic embodiment of, which are written in the founding documents of both the Revolutionary War and theAmerican Civil War.A. the democratic idealsB. the romantic idealsC. the self-reliance spirits

35、D. the religious ideals67.is the author of the work The Leg end of Sleepy HolloW .A. Washington IrvingB. James JoyceC. Walt WhitmanD. William Butler YeatsWe can perhaps summarize that Walt Whitman?s poems are characterized by all the following features except that they are.conversational and crudely

36、rical and well-structuredsimple and rather crudefree-flowingThe Transcendentalists believe that, first, nature is ennobling, and second, the individual isA. insignificantB. vicious by natureC. divineD. forward-lookingThe Publication of established Emerson as the most eloquent spokesman of New Englan

37、dTranscendentalism.A. NatureB. Self-RelianceC. The American ScholarD. The Over-SoulAnswer: C (P402)II. Read the quoted part and answer the questions:T ime grew worse and worse with Rip Van Winkle as years of matrimony rolled on: a tart temper mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edge too

38、l that grows keener by constant use. For a long while he used to perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village.Questions:Please identify the author and the title of the work.2) What s the meaning of this passage?参考答案：1) This is an excerpt from Rip Van Winkle by

39、Washington Irving. (P408)With his wife s dominance at home, the situation became harder andharder for Rip Van Winkle. Hiswife s temper became worse and she scolded him for more often. He had to stay in the club with idle people. (P407)附:Question: Please describe the changes Rip Van Winkle experience

40、d.Answer: 1) Rip Van Winkle was the hero in Irving s works. He was a-gaoured man, a henpecked ( 惧内的，妻管严的)husband.Because his wife s shrewis牌三一样的 )treatment, Rip had to escape from his home to the little inn in the village. When it failed to give him some restful air, he had to go hunting in the high

41、 mountain, where Rip met a stranger, and the man asked Rip to carry keg for him. Then Rip reached the place in the valley, where many strangers were playing nine-pins. Later Rip got drunk after drinking the liquor, which made him sleep for 20 years.Rip woke up as an old man, entering the village lea

42、rned that his wife had died, he got the freedom of his own,; and the American had been dependent from the control of Britain, he had changed from a subject ofthe King (George III) into a citizen of the independent new U.S. I celebrated myself, and sing myself,And what I assume you shall assume,For e

43、very atom belonging to me as good belongs to youQuestions:Please identify the author and the title of the poem that had used when published. 2) What is the themeof this poem?参考答案：1) In the 1856, the title was Poem of Walt Whitman, an American, then it became Walt Whitman in 1860, until 1881, it fina

44、lly became Song of Myself. The author is Walt Whitman. (P456-457)2)In this poem Whitman sets forth two principle beliefs:The theory of universality ( 普遍性),which is illustrated by lengthy catalogues of people and things;The belief in the singularity ( 个别性)and equality(平等性)of all beings in value. (P45

45、7)Standing on the bare ground, my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space,allmean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball. I am nothing. I see all.Questions:Please identify the author and the title of the work.2) Please briefly interpret this passage.3). What rhetor

46、ical device of transparent eye-ball.4) Emerson said he want to become a transparent eye-ball, what king idea did he want to express?参考答案:1) This selection is from Nature by Emerson. (P427)In the essay Emerson clearly expresses the main principles of his Transcendentalist pursuit and his lovefor natu

47、re. Emerson develops his concept of Over-Soul Or Universal Mind. Last but not the leas, it affirms the divinity of the human beings. (P423)It used the device of metaphor. (P423) 4) He wanted to tell us: Nature can purify (净化)our quality and letus get comfort. (P243)III. Questions and answers:The Rom

48、antic Period was called The American Renaissance. Discuss the background of the Romantic Period, and compare it with the Romanticism of Britain.Answer:The two Romanticism both stress the imaginative and emotional qualities of literature;They all pay attention to psychic states of the characters and

49、exalt the individual and common man;American Romanticism revealed unique characteristics: (difference)1 American authors describe their native land, especially the spirit of the pioneering into the west, thedesire for an escape from society and a return to nature;2 American writers use local dialect

50、 in language;3 Puritanism has great influence over American Romantics;4 Calvinism of original sin is obvious in their works;5 Transcendentalism is very important theory in American Romanticism;6 The important setting in American Romanticism are: the early puritan settlement; the confrontation with t

51、he Indians; the frontiersmen s Hfe;the wild west; imagination. (P399 402)Analyze the themes and characteristic of Hawthorne.Answer:Hawthorne was a man with inquiring imagination, meditative mind and dark vision to life.His themes in writing are:Man was born with evil and sin, one source of them is o

52、ver-reaching intellect, whose image was always villain; (Chllingworth e.g.)Hawthorne was influenced greatly by Puritanism, while he criticized it bitterly;He believed Calvinistic ideas, thinking man was depraved and corrupted; they should obey God for saving the spirits;He concerned the moral life o

53、f man and human history;He was keen on the description of man s development of psychology. (P432433) 一Explain the theory of Transcendentalism, then list its important author and works.Answer:Transcendentalism is a very important theory in American Romanticism, its main ideas are:Man has the capacity

54、 of knowing truth intuitively, or the ability of getting knowledge transcending the senses;Nature is ennobling and individual is divine, therefore, man should be self-reliant.Man is divine/holy and perfectible and man can trust himself to decide what is right and act accordingly;(but to Hawthorne an

55、d Melville man is a sinner);Universe is over-soul -a symbol of the spirit, God or the universe, there is an emotional communication between an individual soul and the universal over-soul -unity of Nature.The important authors are: Emerson (The American Scholar) and Thoreau.Nature, Emerson s works, i

56、s called the unofficial manifesto fo r the club. (P421 P422)Hawthorne was a master in using symbol and allegory; cite some example to analyze it.Answer:Allegorically, Young Goodman Brown becomes an Everyman called Brown, who will be aged in one night by an evil adventure, and the evilness makes ever

57、yone a fallen idol in the world.In the angle of Symbol: Brown look up to the Heaven and resist the wicked one symbols Brown has the force to resist the evilness of the Nature and he still has the faith to God; but he is alone in the forestsymbols the society is the place full of sins and evilness, B

58、rown s strength is not enough at all; then afterreturning, he lives a dismal and gloomy life symbols he has been crushed down by the social evilness and lost his belief in goodness and piety. (P434435)Washington Irving was called Father of the American short stories and the American Goldsmith. What

59、characteristics did he have?Answer:He was nostalgic author, and he always juxtaposing the Old and the New world;He remained a conservative and always exalted a disappearing past, and he prefer the past to present, prefer a dream-like world to a real one;His stories were always from legend, especiall

60、y German legends, showing best classic style. (P405 406)Sea adventure s are Melville s favorite subject; Mob-Dick is a great novel in the theme, which is also noted for its symbolism, please analyze it in detail.Answer:About the sea adventure: it symbols the voyage of the mind in quest of the truth