American Romanticism Flashcards
~1800-~1860
American Romanticism
successful revolt against English rule
optimism
room to grow
optimism
vast expanse, no geographic limitations
frontier
freedom
frontier
scientific
experimentation
social institutions
experimentation
industrialization to
urbanization
feeling and intuition over
reason
the “____” experience
felt
passion, beauty, emotion
revered
emphasis on the
imagination
emphasis on
individuality
rejection of artificiality of civilization in favor of
nature
connection with
nature
nature’s beauty is a path to emotional, intellectual, moral
awakening
nature is a source of inspiration and
wisdom
inspiration in myth, legend, folk
culture
distrust of progress; look backward to
idealized past
beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, inner world of
imagination
fiction (rise of the American _____)
novel
poe
try
experimentation in new forms of
writing
quest for beauty , truth,
experience
escape from daily
troubles
journey to freedom, often found in
nature
imaginative, far-off
settings
romantic
hero
important outgrowth of early American Novel (e.g. Natty ______)
Bumppo
young or has youthful
qualities
innocent and pure of
purpose
has a sense of
honor
knowledge of people and life based on deep; intuitive understanding, not
formal learning
loves nature and avoids
town life
quests for some higher truth in
the natural world
fireside
poets
unlike novelists of the time, American Romantic poets worked within European
literary styles
devoted to traditional
models
limited by literary cons: did not value poetic experimentation being done by other
poets (Walt Whitman)
A typical Romantic journey is to the
countryside
the Romantic hero created by Jame Fenimore Cooper is called
all the above-
Natty Bumppo
Hawkeye
Deerslayer
a group of poets who were extremely popular in the American Romantic age were called
Fireside Poets
a specific type of Romantic novel which contained wild, haunted landscapes, supernatural events, and mysterious medieval castles was called
gothis
a love of nature typifies the American Romantic hero
true
what did people typically have to do for ‘necessities’ 200 years ago
grow or make, use “muscle”, gather raw material
describe the steps in the cloth making process
cut off raw wool, turn into cloth, clean, cart, create slivers, stretch slivers into yarn on a spinning wheel. A hand loom was used-use foot pedals. Create over-under pattern. Repeat process
what is an embargo?
no foreign goods or services allowed in a country or area. A trade restriction.
what was Samuel Slater?
supervised construction of a mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Stole idea and brought it to colonies - America
what did the power loom allow textile mills to produce?
more automatic weaving due to power loom
describe the life of a ‘Lowell girl’
rules, curfews, no alcohol, Sunday church service, bells called to work, 12-13 hour days or more, bordinghouses throughout city when not working, well fed, clean linens for $1.25 a week, 70 hour work week
what is meant by the phrases ‘lords of the lash’ and ‘lords of the loom’?
lash was the north, loom those in the south, the people involved being mill owners
what effect did the rise of the steam engine have on traditional mills?
helped to power the machinery, operated machines any time, any place, in any kind of water, eventually replacing water, no longer needed to be on rivers
where is the textile industry now centered? why?
1850’s-south, cheap cotton with no need for rivers
now-Asia, Pacific, far from U.S. and Great Britain-even cheaper
in “Thanatopsis,” nature urges the poet to find comfort in the
knowledge that death joins us with all others
which statement best summarizes the cycle described in “Thanatopsis”?
the dead are replaced by the living, who, in turn, die
“Thanatopsis” strongly suggests that human beings are
an ongoing part of the earth itself
which facet of “Thanatopsis” makes it a good example of Romantic poetry?
the natural environment has provoked deep emotions and insights in the speaker
all of the following words describe the tone of “Thanatopsis” except
hostile
in “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls,” the rising and falling of the tide suggests
the passage of time
the principal message conveyed in “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” is that
humans have little control over their fate and life is short
the repeated last line of each stanza in “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” is meant to convey
the unceasing motion of the tide
what can we conclude about the female subject of “The Cross of Snow”?
she is remembered fondly and deeply missed by the speaker
in “The Cross of Snow,” the images of a halo, fire, and sunlight contrast with the
image of a sunless mountain ravine
in “The Cross of Snow,” the cross that the speaker wears is
an emotional pain that has never been wiped out
what is surprising or unexpected about the image of the cross of snow in Longfellow’s poem?
it persists through time
in “The Chambered Nautilus,” the speaker implies that if he hadn’t meditated on the nautilus, his life might have resembled
a series of endless corridors leading nowhere
the speaker finds the chambered nautilus remarkable because it is
evidence of how a living thing develops
in “The Chambered Nautilus,” what does the speaker seem to wish for himself?
a spirit that eventually will break free
the theme of “Rip Van Winkle” involves a wish coming true. Which phrase below most accurately reflects the wish?
to escape domination and enjoy life
the most momentous historical event that takes place during Rip’s long sleep is
the American Revolution
Rip Van Winkle is a stereotypical American Romantic hero in that he
finds solace and comfort in the wilderness
in the end, most of the inhabitants of Rip’s village
believe, enjoy, and retell his tale
what is the first detail that allows the reader to infer that Rip has slept a long time?
his gun is old and rusty
in his descriptions of Rip’s hometown, Irving shows how a place and its people can change as a result of
independence and commerce
the first flowering of a uniquely American literature, sometimes referred to as the American Renaissance, was directly influenced by
intellectual and social ferment in New England
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville both
explored the dark side of human existence in their work
the philosophy embraced by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Transcendentalists had its roots in all of the following except
eighteenth-century rational though exemplified by Benjamin Franklin
in the Transcendentalist view of the world,
everything is a reflection of the Divine Soul
the Lyceum movement was an expression of New England’s interest in
self-improvement and intellectual inquiry
which of the following statements about Ralph Waldo Emerson is true?
he helped inspire numerous reform movements
utopian communities were founded with the intention of
creating a more perfect society
reform movements during the first half of the nineteenth century included campaigns for
improving public education
the source of Emerson’s optimism was
his belief that we can directly find a benevolent God in nature
both the Dark Romantics and the Transcendentalists
saw signs and symbols in human events
when do the events in “The Last of the Mohicans” take place?
1757
the war discussed in this novel is fought between which opposing sides?
French and English
to which camp are reinforcements being sent?
Fort Williams Henry
Who is the leader of Fort Edward?
Colonel Munro
the two girls being escorted are named
Cora and Alice
who is the British soldier escorting the girls?
Duncan Heyward
What is the traveler that joins this group doing when he is told to quiet down?
singing religious songs
what does the British soldier think he sees in the woods at the end of chapter 2?
French soldiers
which of the following activities best illustrates Thoreau’s doctrine of simplicity?
building his own house
which of the following is the best interpretation of what Thoreau means when he says,”…we do like cowbirds and cuckoos, which lay their eggs in nests which other birds have built, and cheer no traveler…”?
people who hire others to provide for their basic needs are left unfulfilled
with which of the following statements would Thoreau most agree?
most people forfeit their lives by doing what society tells them to do
what reason does Thoreau give for wanting to live at Walden?
he wants to live life more fully
what reason does Thoreau give for finally leaving Walden?
he wishes to move on to other experiences
Thoreau witnesses a battle between what creatures?
ants
which of the following does Thoreau value most highly?
truth
what, as Thoreau describes it at the end of the reading, is the sun?
a morning star
complete the following quote from Thoreau: “I was determined to know______”
beans
what are “sleepers”?
railroad ties
which of the following statements describes Emerson’s attitude toward society?
he values nature highly and has some contempt for society
what is a utopia?
an ideal society
with which of the following statements would Emerson most likely agree?
all elements of nature make a unified impression on those whose minds are open
the third paragraph of the excerpt ends with this sentence: “This is the best part of these men’s farms, yet to this their warranty deeds give no title.” In the context of the paragraph, this sentence means
the most valuable quality of the land is something that can be owned
Emerson’s purpose in this essay is to
describe a profound way of seeing nature
which of the following best states one of Emerson’s philosophies?
be true to yourself
Emerson states that the most sacred aspect of a person is the
integrity of an individual’s mind
according to Emerson, the “hobgoblin of little minds” is
consistency
“Trust thyself: Every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
Trust yourself, and you will be strong
“Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again…”
say what’s on your mind in the strongest way you can
Thoreau’s major purpose in this essay is to persuade people to
follow their individual consciences
in Thoreau’s view, the practical reason the majority rules in a democracy is that
the majority has more physical power on its side
Thoreau’s hope for the democracy of this time was that it
was one step along the route to a more perfect state
which of the following best describes Thoreau’s attitude toward government after he was jailed?
he lost all respect for the government and pitied it
which of the following statements is not an opinion?
Thoreau objected to the government’s support of slavery
